DUKE 

UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARY 


GIFT  OF 

Family   of 
W.    G.    Merrltt 


HISTORY 


OF 


METHODISM  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA, 


FROM  1772  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 


BY  W.  L,  GRISSOM, 

A  Member  of  the  Western  North  Carolina  Conference. 


With  an  Introduction 

BY  JNO.  J.  TIGERT,  D.D.,  LL.D., 

Book  Editor  M.  E.  Church,  South. 


VOL  UME   I. 


FROM  THE   INTRODUCTION  OF  METHODISM   IN   NORTH 
CAROLINA  TO  THE  YEAR    1805. 


Nashville,  Tenn.;  Dallas,  Tex.: 

Publishing  House  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  South. 

Smith  &  Lamar,  Agents. 

1905. 


Copyright, 

'90S. 

By  Smith  &  Lamar. 


Div.  S. 

v.l 
L-5 


DEDICATION. 


To  my  Father,  T.  A.  Grissom, 

and  Mother,  Martha  E.  Grissom, 

the  one  so  recently  crossed  over  the  river, 

and  the  other  who  lingers  in  the  evening  of  life  on  this  side, 

who  both  taught  and  guided  my  steps  in  youth, 

and  who  have  been  a  comfort  and  benediction  to  me  in  their  last  days, 

this  volume  is  affectionately  dedicated  by' 

The  Author. 


H557  2.4 


PREFACE. 

This  book  is  a  result  of  an  opportunity  and  of  a  convic- 
tion. The  author  had  some  hours  of  leisure  not  claimed 
by  other  duties,  which  gave  him  the  opportunity.  The  con- 
viction sprang  from  the  realization  that  a  service,  such  as 
this  is  intended  to  be,  had  been  too  long  neglected.  Much 
valuable  historical  material  has  already  been  lost  beyond 
recovery,  and  much  that  remained  was  rapidly  passing 
away.  Most  of  the  other  denominations  of  the  state  have 
been  more  careful  to  write  and  preserve  their  history  than 
the  Methodists.  It  has  been  said  that  the  reason  we  have 
so  little  material  in  the  early  history  of  Methodism  is  that 
those  old  heroes  regarded  duty  more  than  honor  and  the 
present  good  more  than  future  praise.  They  not  only  failed 
to  write  history,  but  were  negligent  in  preserving  the  min- 
utes which  were  recorded;  while  the  records  which  were 
preserved  furnish  meager  material  for  the  historian,  as 
they  give  only  the  briefest  outline  of  the  deliberations  which 
determined  largely  the  polities  and  usages  of  the  Church. 

Only  a  few  of  the  early  preachers  kept  diaries,  and  those 
who  did,  as  a  rule,  merely  recorded  where  they  preached 
and  the  text  used.  It  is  just  to  say,  however,  that  Bishop 
Asbury,  Jesse  Lee,  and  a  few  others  are  notable  exceptions 
to  this  rule.  These  sources  are  of  incalculable  value  to  the 
writer  of  Methodist  history. 

So  the  reader  will  see  that  the  writer  did  not  select  this 
work  because  it  was  an  easy  task.     For  there  was  little 

(ix) 

H551XD 


x  Preface. 

material  in  sight  when  he  began  to  examine  the  sources. 
Still  there  was  a  fascination  in  collecting  the  necessary  data. 
"Old  bookstores"  were  visited  and  searched  from  Boston 
to  Atlanta,  while  much  was  obtained  from  the  garrets  of 
many  private  homes.  Time,  travel,  and  expense  were  not 
spared  to  make  the  collection  of  material  as  complete  as  pos- 
sible at  this  late  day.  Fully  realizing  the  importance  of  the 
work,  the  labor  involved,  and  its  responsibility,  he  has  en- 
deavored to  portray  the  spirit  and  life  of  early  Methodism, 
praying  that  every  reader  may  have  holy  aspirations  kindled 
by  reviewing  a  great  spiritual  movement  that  has  increased 
in  momentum  as  the  years  have  gone  by.  For  he  felt  that 
the  writing  of  history  is  the  digging  up  of  the  past  for  the 
instruction  and  inspiration  of  the  present  and  future.  The 
archaeologists  in  the  last  few  decades  have  uncovered  many 
ancient  cities  that  have  been  buried  for  centuries,  and  they 
are  again  made  to  speak  to  us.  So  may  the  lives  of  the 
pioneers  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina  speak  to  us,  and 
tell  us  of  their  self-sacrificing  spirit  and  glorious  victories. 
For  they  can  tell  us  of  a  zeal  and  enthusiasm  that  is  no 
longer  witnessed  among  us.  May  the  scenes  of  the  early 
camp  meeting  pass  in  review  before  us,  and  leave  their  pho- 
tographs upon  the  memories  of  both  young  and  old.  Some 
one  has  said  that  "history  gathers  for  us  the  treasures  of 
the  past,  and  lays  at  our  feet  the  experiences,  and  the  ac- 
cumulations, and  the  attainments,  and  the  ideals  of  those 
who  have  lived  before  us."  If  this  be  true,  the  history  of 
Methodism  is  a  rich  legacy  to  all  her  children. 

No  apology  is  needed  for  giving  a  chapter  to  the  period 
of  the  American  Revolution.     Here  the  most  decisive  bat- 


Preface.  xi 

ties  were  fought.  Our  preachers  were  in  a  more  embarrass- 
ing position  than  the  preachers  of  any  other  denomination ; 
and  yet  the  victory  for  freedom  meant  much  for  Methodism, 
and  made  it  possible  for  it  to  become  a  great  Church  and 
one  of  the  greatest  moral  and  spiritual  forces  in  America. 

Neither  is  an  apology  necessary  for  treating  some  sub- 
jects which  perhaps  more  properly  belong  to  a  work  on  the 
history  of  Methodism  in  general,  because  many  of  these 
great  movements  had  their  origin  in  North  Carolina.  It 
will  be  seen  in  these  pages  that  the  first  subscriptions  to  a 
Methodist  school  in  America  were  made,  by  North  Caro- 
linians; that  the  first  Conference  school  was  erected  in 
North  Carolina ;  that  the  first  Methodist  periodical  published 
in  America  was  launched  from  North  Carolina;  that  the 
first  Discipline  in  its  present  form  was  prepared  for  the 
press  by  a  circuit  preacher  in  North  Carolina ;  and  that  the 
camp  meeting,  which  gave  Methodism  such  an  impetus  in 
its  early  days,  had  its  origin  in  North  Carolina,  and  not  in 
Kentucky  as  is  generally  recorded. 

Much  space  has  been  given  to  the  revival  feature  of 
Methodism ;  in  fact,  its  early  history  is  the  history  of  a 
great  revival  movement.  At  first  it  was  little  more  than  a 
revival  of  religion.  No  such  times  had  ever  been  witnessed 
in  America  before  the  coming  of  the  Methodist  preacher 
as  was  witnessed  about  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  This  revival,  started  under  the  preaching  of  the 
Methodists,  marks  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  every  Prot- 
estant Church  in  America. 

It  was  necessary  in  trying  to  portray  the  life  and  times 
of  early  Methodism  to  give  the  biography  of  the  actors  as 


xii  Preface. 

far  as  it  was  possible.  Much  difficulty  was  met  in  obtaining 
information  concerning  many  of  those  old  heroes,  as  there 
is  little  known  of  many  of  them  except  what  may  be  found 
in  the  General  Minutes.  They  made  a  record,  but  it  is  only 
recorded  in  heaven.  As  we  contemplate  the  sufferings, 
hardships,  and  toils  of  these  men  of  God  who  have  glorified 
the  past  and  made  Methodism  what  it  is,  our  hearts  should 
be  stirred  and  inspired  with  a  holy  purpose  to  follow  them 
as  they  followed  Christ.  Let  us  rejoice  in  their  heroic 
efforts  and  glorious  achievements.  Macaulay  says,  "No 
people  who  fail  to  take  pride  in  the  deeds  of  their  ancestors 
will  ever  do  anything  in  which  their  posterity  can  take 
pride." 

As  a  rule  credit  is  given  in  the  footnotes,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  such  data  as  may  have  been  gathered  from  the  Gen- 
eral Minutes.  If  other  authorities  are  omitted  in  the  foot- 
notes, they  will  have  due  recognition  in  a  bibliography  that 
will  appear  in  a  later  volume. 

The  author  is  under  special  obligation  to  the  following, 
who  have  given  him  encouragement  or  valuable  help  in  one 
way  or  another :  Rev.  J.  J.  Tigert,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  our  Book 
Editor,  who  has  kindly  edited  the  work  and  written  the 
Introduction;  Dr.  J.  S.  Bassett,  Professor  of  History  in 
Trinity  College;  Dr.  Dred  Peacock,  late  President  of 
Greensboro  Female  College ;  Dr.  C.  L.  Raper,  Professor  in 
the  University  of  North  Carolina;  Doctors  James  H.  Car- 
lisle, H.  N.  Snyder,  and  D.  D.  Wallace,  of  Wofford  Col- 
lege; Dr.  S.  B.  Weeks,  Rev.  J.  J.  Renn,  D.D.,  Rev.  C.  A. 
Wood,  and  others.  He  also  wishes  to  express  his  indebted- 
ness to  the  authorities  and  managers  of  the  following  li- 


Preface.  xiii 

braries:  Greensboro  Female  College,  Trinity  College,  Wof- 
ford  College,  Randolph-Macon  College,  Library  of  Con- 
gress, Maryland  Historical  Society,  Methodist  Historical 
Society1  of  Baltimore,  the  Pratt  and  Peabody  Libraries  of 
the  same  city,  Methodist  Historical  Society  of  New  York, 
and  the  Library  of  Yale  College.  All  of  the  managers  of 
these  libraries  have  been  very  kind  in  rendering  every  pos- 
sible assistance,  and  sincere  thanks  are  hereby  expressed. 

W.  L.  Grissom. 

Greensboro,  N.  C,  October  25,  1905. 

1This  collection  was  the  most  complete,  so  far  as  Methodist  his- 
tory was  concerned,  of  any  consulted,  and  it  was  burned  in  the 
recent  destructive  fire  in  that  city. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Introduction    xvii 

CHAPTER  I. 
A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions I 


CHAPTER  II. 
Itroduction   of   Methodism   in    North    Carolina 26 

CHAPTER  III. 
Early  Circuits  and  Pioneers 47 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Period  of  the  Revolution 68 

CHAPTER  V. 
Growth  of  Methodism  from  1780  to  1784 84 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 109 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The   First   Conferences 119 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Education  and  Early  Methodism,  1780  to  1800 133 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Development  in  Eastern  North  Carolina,  1784  to  1792 146 

CHAPTER  X. 
Development  in  Eastern  North  Carolina  (Continued),  1792 
to    1800 162 

CHAPTER  XI. 
The  First  Schism  in  Methodism 175 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Growth  in  the  Central  Part  of  North  Carolina,  1784  to 

1800    194 

(xv) 


XVI 


Contents. 


CHAPTER  XIII.  page 

The  Cape  Fear  Section,  1784  to  1800 216 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Slavery    in    Relation    to    Methodism    in    the    Eighteenth 
Century 226 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley,  1784  to  1805 242 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
West  of  the  Catawba  in  the  Eighteenth  Century 271 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
West  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  1780  to  1805 288 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
The    Period   of    Revivals 308 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Period  of  Revivals   (Continued) 318 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Camp    Meetings 328 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Toils  and  Triumphs  of  the  Pioneers 345 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Facing  page 

Robert    Straw-bridge 27 

George  Whitefield 28 

Joseph    Pilmoor 34 

A    Pioneer 35 

Thomas    Rankin 43 

John    Dickins 60 

Bishop    Asbury 84 

Houses  of  the  Early  Settlers.  93 

Thomas    Coke 109 

Ordination    of    Bishop    As- 
bury     116 

Green  Hill's   House 122 

Cokesbury    School 136 

Christopher  S.  Mooring.  . .  .  172 


Facing  page 

Henry    Willis 195 

William    Burke 200 

Thomas    Ware 202 

Enoch    George 206 

Rocky    River    Church 209 

James    Jenkins 221 

Freeborn    Garrettson 227 

Mount    Mitchell 275 

Swannanoa    River 291 

Killian    House 301 

Lorenzo    Dow 322 

Camp    Meeting 328 

Preaching  in  the  Woods...  344 
Map   of   North    Carolina.  ..  .p.  i 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  author's  full  and  illuminating  preface  renders  un- 
necessary an  elaborate  introduction.  Mr.  Grissom's  pages 
give  ample  evidence  of  the  scope — I  might  say  complete- 
ness— of  his  investigations  and  of  the  accuracy  of  his  re- 
sults. He  has  given  many  years  of  untiring  and  intelli- 
gent search  to  the  collection  of  his  materials.  These  ef- 
forts have  resulted  in  a  measure  of  success  so  large  that 
the  author  well  deserves,  and  will  receive,  a  permanent 
and  honored  place  among  those  who  have  consecrated 
their  energies  and  time  to  the  preservation  of  the  fast 
disappearing  sources  of  early  Methodist  history  in  Amer- 
ica. This  wealth  of  material  has  been  utilized  in  the 
construction  of  a  worthy  and  ample  narrative  of  the 
beginnings  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

The  state  has  an  ecclesiastical  history  in  every  way 
comparable  with  its  civil  record :  the  heroes  who  founded 
the  Churches  of  the  commonwealth  are  worthy  to  stand 
by  the  side  of  the  men  of  King's  Mountain  and  of  the 
Mecklenburg  Declaration.  If  here  and  there  there  has 
lurked  a  suspicion  that  North  Carolina  may  have  lacked 
a  distinctive  character  and  record — the  modesty  of  her 

sons  suffering  their  state  to  be  ground,  so  to  speak,  be- 

(xvii) 


xviii  Introduction. 

•.ween  the  upper  and  nether  millstones  of  Virginia  and 
South  Carolina,  whose  stories  have  been  widely,  not  to 
say  loudly,  heralded — that  suspicion  is  wholly  dissipated 
as  worthy  historians  come  forward  to  tell  the  story  of  her 
heroic  achievements.  In  the  ecclesiastical  sphere,  Mr. 
Grissom  has  made  a  valuable  and,  as  I  venture  to  think, 
a  permanent  contribution  to  the  wider  recognition  of  the 
greatness  of  North  Carolma  and  her  people.  The  publi- 
cation of  this  first  volume  of  well  told  denominational 
history  should  meet  with  such  generous  and  general  en- 
couragement as  to  insure  the  rapid  preparation  and  issue 
of  the  remainder  of  the  story. 

It  remains  only  to  add  that  the  proofs  of  this  volume 
have  received  careful  attention  in  the  Book  Editor's  of- 
fice, as  well  as  conscientious  revision  at  the  hands  of  the 
author.  The  perusal  has  been  a  source  of  real  profit  and 
solid  satisfaction  to  one  reader  who  now  takes  great  pleas- 
ure in  commending  the  volume  to  public  notice  and  es- 
pecially to  the  attention  of  the  Methodists  of  North  Car- 
olina. Jno.  J.  Tigert, 

Book  Editor. 
Nashville,  30  October,  1905. 


History  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  GLANCE  AT  EARLY  CONDITIONS. 

North  Carolina  :  Location — Topography — Settlement. 

Intellectual  Condition  :  First  Printing  Press — Mail  Facilities — 
First  Schools  Run  by  the  Clergy — Newbern  Academy  Established 
by  Legislative  Enactment — Few  Educational  Advantages — Scotch- 
Irish  Presbyterians — Church  Schools. 

Religious  Condition  :  First  Gospel  Sermon — William  Edmundson — 
George  Fox.  Friends.  Established  Church:  Church  Established 
by  Government — First  Church  Built  in  Chowan — Rev.  John 
Blair.  The  Baptists:  First  Baptist  Church  in  Perquimans  County 
— Paul  Palmer — Meherrin — Kehukee  Association — Sandy  Creek 
— Shubal  Stearns — Grassy  Creek.  Presbyterians:  Henry  McCul- 
loch — Hugh  McAden — Alexander  Craighead — David  Caldwell — 
Fourteen  Congregations  in  1755.  Lutheran  and  German  Re- 
formed: Mostly  from  Pennsylvania — Settled  in  Piedmont  Sec- 
tion— Settlement  of  Newbern — Few  Spoke  English.  The  Mo- 
ravians: Germans — Settled  in  Forsyth — Salem — Salem  Female 
Academy.  The  Methodists:  Methodist  Preachers  Came  with  a 
Revival — Crowds  Flocked  Out  to  Hear  Them. 

In  order  to  appreciate  the  progress  that  Methodism  has 
made  in  North  Carolina,  it  is  necessary  to  understand 
something  of  its  territory  and  the  influences  at  work  here 
when  Methodism  was  introduced.  To  draw  a  picture  of 
conditions  existing  a  century  and  a  quarter  ago  is  no  easy 
task;  for  if  we  would  know  the  field  fully,  advantages  and 
disadvantages,  we  must  know  its  social,  intellectual,  and 
religious  condition.  Hence  merely  to  glance  at  these,  so 
that  the  reader  may  have  in  mind  the  soil  where  Meth- 

(0 


2  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

odism  is  to  plant,  cultivate,  and  reap,  is  the  purpose  of  this 
chapter. 

North  Carolina  is  included  nearly  between  the  parallels 
34°  and  363/2°  north  latitude,  and  between  the  meridians 
753/2°  and  843^°  longitude  west  of  Greenwich.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  on  the  south 
by  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  on  the  west  by  Tennessee, 
and  on  the  north  by  Virginia.  Its  extreme  length  from 
east  to  west  is  503^2  miles;  its  extreme  breadth  is  1873/2 
miles;  and  its  average  breadth  is  100  miles.  Its  area 
embraces  52,286  square  miles. 

The  topography  of  North  Carolina  makes  an  interesting 
picture.  It  "may  be  best  conceived  by  picturing  to  the 
mind's  eye  the  surface  of  the  state  as  a  vast  declivity, 
sloping  down  from  the  summits  of  the  Smoky  Mountains, 
an  altitude  of  nearly  seven  thousand  feet,  to  the  level  of 
the  Atlantic  Ocean."1  It  is  almost  in  the  form  of  terraces 
from  the  mountains  to  the  sea.  In  the  east  we  have  the 
Atlantic  plain  stretching  from  the  seacoast  west  a  dis- 
tance of  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 
Large  sections  of  this  plain  are  almost  perfectly  level. 
From  the  east  to  the  west  there  is  a  rise  of  about  a  foot 
to  a  mile.  The  western  border  of  this  plain,  extending 
through  Warren,  Franklin,  Wake,  Cumberland,  Chat  jam, 
Moore,  Montgomery,  and  Anson  counties,  marks  what  at 
an  earlier  period  of  the  earth's  history  was  a  line  of  sea- 
beach.  The  soil  is  a  sandy  loam,  and  is  adapted  to  the 
growth  of  cotton,  corn,  peas,  peanuts,  potatoes,  and  espe- 

1  "North  Carolina  and  its  Resources,"  1896,  p.  16. 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  3 

daily  sweet  potatoes.  The  sounds  and  rivers  abound  with 
fish.  The  swamps,  that  are  quite  numerous  in  this  sec- 
tion, are  very  different  in  their  "characteristic  features 
from  an  ordinary  swamp."  Many  of  them  occupy  the 
divides  or  watersheds,  and  it  is  thought  that  they  will  be 
a  resource  of  great  value  some  day. 

We  now  pass  the  old  coast  line,  spoken  of  above,  and 
enter  the  Piedmont  Plateau,  which  comprises  nearly  one- 
half  the  territory  of  the  state.  Here  we  are  greeted  with 
a  very  marked  change  in  topography  and  in  production. 
Instead  of  the  flat  monotony  of  the  east,  we  see  at  every 
step  some  new  charm,  in  hill  or  dale ;  for  these  scenes  of 
landscape  present  new  beauties  to  an  eye  of  taste  upon 
which  it  never  tires.  These  red  Piedmont  hills,  between 
the  plains  of  the  east  and  the  mountains  of  the  west,  are 
unsurpassed  as  a  climate  for  a  great  variety  of  vegetable 
productions  and  for  health.  It  produces  corn,  cotton,  to- 
bacco, and  the  small  grains.  In  addition  to  these  it  is 
celebrated  as  a  fruit-growing  section. 

Passing  on  to  the  west,  we  come  to  the  mountains. 
There  beauty  and  grandeur  blend  together.  This  section 
is  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains, 
which  run  from  the  northeast  to  the  southwest,  and  is  on 
an  average  nearly  four  thousand  feet  in  elevation.  Ap- 
proaching it  from  the  east  it  is  steep  and  rugged,  rising 
from  two  thousand  to  three  thousand  feet  above  the  Pied- 
mont country.  From  the  west  it  is  a  low  and  ill-defined 
ridge.  From  here  to  the  western  boundary  of  the  state 
it  is  mountainous,  noted  for  beauty  of  scenery  and  a 
health-giving  climate. 


4  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

So  far  as  known,  no  one  of  the  white  race  had  ever  en- 
tered North  Carolina  previous  to  1584.  On  a  bright 
summer  day,  July  4,  old  style,1  1584,  the  first  English 
anchor  was  dropped  off  near  its  coast.  The  voyagers 
landed,  and  after  thanksgiving  to  Almighty  God  they 
took  formal  possession  of  this  country  in  the  name  of  the 
Queen  of  England.  They  landed  on  Roanoke  Island. 
However,  there  was  no  permanent  settlement  of  whites 
until  about  1663.  It  has  been  generally  thought  that  they 
came  as  religious  refugees ;  and  while  no  doubt  many 
came  seeking  religious  liberty,  the  majority  came  from 
purely  economic  reasons.2  Those  who  understood  the 
grant  to  the  proprietors,  which  contained  the  germ  of 
an  Established  Church,  could  not  have  expected  to  find 
that  religious  freedom  for  which  they  sought.  Many  of 
the  early  settlers  cared  little  for  religion,  but  they  wished 
to  better  their  condition.  The  first  emigrants  settled  in 
the  Albemarle  section,  which  was  very  inviting  to  every 
tiller  of  the  soil.  England,  the  mother  country,  was 
crowded.  They  sought  the  wide  and  fertile  fields  of 
Carolina. 

The  proprietary  government  was  established  by  charter 
in  1665,  and  terminated  in  1729.  The  total  population  oi 
the  colony  at  the  latter  date  is  estimated  to  be  about  ten 
thousand.     "In  1730  the  colonial  government  was  estab- 


'In  new  style  of  reckoning  this  was  July  16. 

'Bishop  Cheshire  in  Church  Messenger.  Colonel  Sanders  in  "Co- 
lonial Records,"  Vol.  I.,  pages  28,  29;  and  Dr.  S.  B.  Weeks  in  "Re- 
ligious Development  in  the  Province  of  North  Carolina,"  pages  20-31. 
"Colonial  Records,"  Vol.  IV.,  page  920. 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  $ 

lishecl  under  royal  authority.  George  Burrington  was  ap- 
pointed governor  of  the  province  of  North  Carolina  by  the 
King  of  England,  and  the  next  year  he  qualified  at  Eden- 
ton,  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office." 

In  considering  the  intellectual  condition  of  North  Caro- 
lina at  the  time  Methodism  was  introduced,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  glance  at  the  educational  forces  in  the  colony 
previous  to  that  time.  And  perhaps  no  force  in  this  state 
has  been  felt  more  than  the  printing  press.  It  has  done 
much  good,  and  sometimes  when  not  properly  used  has 
done  much  harm.  This  educational  force  was  introduced 
in  North  Carolina  in  1749,  by  James  Davis,  from  Vir- 
ginia, who  set  up  a  press  in  Newbern.  This  paper  was  a 
small  weekly,  and  was  called  the  North  Carolina  Gazette. 
The  paper  continued  six  years.  On  the  27th  of  May, 
1768,  its  publication  was  resumed,  and  continued  until 
the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  second  newspaper  was  started  by  Andrew  Stewart, 
printer  to  the  king,  at  Wilmington,  in  1763,  called  the 
Cape  Fear  Gazette  and  Wilmington  Advertiser.  This 
paper  ceased  in  1767.  Stewart's  paper  was  succeeded  by 
Adam  Boyd's  Mercury,  which  ceased  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary War.  In  1776  newspapers  were  printed  at 
Newbern,  Wilmington,  Halifax,  Edenton,  and  Hills- 
boro.  In  1812  papers  were  printed  at  Raleigh,  New- 
bern, Wilmington,  Edenton,  Tarboro,  Murfreesboro, 
Fayetteville,  and  Warrenton,  but  there  was  no  paper 
west  of  Raleigh.1 

1  "History  of  Journalism  in  North  Carolina,"  by  W.  W.  Holden, 
pages  3,  4. 


6  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Those  of  to-day  who  are  in  the  habit  of  reading  the 
daily  papers  can  hardly  conceive  how  the  early  settlers 
could  get  along  with  the  newspaper  and  other  mail  facili- 
ties. For  up  to  1754  "there  were  no  post  routes  traversed 
by  mail  carriers."  As  late  as  1790,  long  after  Methodism 
had  been  introduced  into  the  colony,  there  were  only  four 
post  offices  in  North  Carolina,  namely,  Edenton,  Newbern, 
Washington,  and  Wilmington.  Think  of  running  a  paper 
and  sending  it  out  without  post  offices  or  mail  carriers,  as 
James  Davis  did  in  1749!  Letters  also  must  be  sent  by 
travelers  or  by  special  messengers. 

When  we  think  of  all  our  modern  conveniences  we 
cannot  realize  how  the  people  made  any  progress  without 
them.  The  uses  of  steam  and  electricity  were  unknown. 
Their  mode  of  traveling  was  quite  different  from  the 
palace  car  that  dashes  so  rapidly  across  our  continent  to- 
day. Traveling  was  done  on  horseback,  and  the  freight, 
which  consisted  of  the  mere  necessities  of  life,  was  carried 
on  pack  horses.  Public  roads  were  few.  Most  of  the 
traveling  was  done  on  footpaths  from  one  neighborhood  to 
another.  All  these  disadvantages  and  many  others  the 
early  pioneers  of  Methodism  had  to  face  when  they  en- 
tered North  Carolina. 

There  were  very  few  schools  in  the  colony  previous  to 
the  Revolutionary  War,  and  these  were  conducted  usually 
by  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  and  lay  readers.1  The  first 
churches  usually  had  lay  readers  to  read  sermons.  The 
missionaries  who  came  to  this  country  to  establish  the 

1  "Church  History  in  North  Carolina,"  page  164. 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  7 

Church  knew  that  in  order  to  have  the  greatest  success 
education  and  religion  must  go  hand  in  hand;  and  that 
in  order  to  have  a  strong,  vigorous,  and  steadfast  faith, 
there  must  be  some  intellectual  development.  Education 
is  necessary  to  the  development  of  the  best  type  of  Chris- 
tianity. In  the  early  history  of  North  Carolina  we  find 
that  the  Church  fully  realized  this  fact,  but  this  idea  of 
education  seems  not  to  have  gone  beyond  the  pales  of 
the  Church.  m 

The  government  was  indifferent  to  the  education  of  the 
people,  and  Governor  Berkeley,  who  dominated  the  colony 
of  Virginia  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  thanked 
God,  in  June,  1671,  that  there  were  no  free  schools  or 
printing  presses  in  the  colony,  and  hoped  that  there  might 
not  be  in  a  hundred  years.1  It  was  just  ninety-six  years 
after  this  when  the  first  school  was  established  by  legis- 
lative enactment  in  North  Carolina.  This  school  was 
Newbern  Academy,  in  1767.2  And  Martin  says  in  his 
history  that  there  were  but  two,  those  of  Newbern  and 
Edenton,  at  the  time  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Education  for  a  long  time  seems  to  have  been  entirely 
neglected.  The  government  had  done  practically  nothing 
up  to  the  time  that  the  university  was  opened  in  1795. 
For  at  that  time  there  was  not  a  public  school  in  the  state. 
Williamson,  in  accounting  for  the  neglect  of  education, 
says :  "The  laws  that-  were  made  to  support  a  religious 
establishment  retained  their  force ;  for  they  were  supported 
by  the  spirit  of  party.    Learning  was  neglected  because  it 

1  "Life  of  David  Caldwell,"  page  78.    'Ibid.,  p.  77. 


8  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

was  of  no  party;  no  troops  enlisted  themselves  under  its 
banner.  Pride  or  passion  were  not  ready  to  lend  their 
assistance;  and  reason,  a  cool  auxiliary,  for  many  years 
gave  ineffectual  support."  The  policy  of  the  government 
was  to  keep  the  people  in  ignorance,  and  in  this  it  seems  to 
have  succeeded.  It  was  necessary  to  go  abroad  in  order 
to  secure  anything  like  a  liberal  education,  and  this  a  few 
of  the  more  wealthy  and  intelligent  did. 

There  were  not  man^at  this  period  who  obtained  any- 
thing like  what  we  would  consider  a  liberal  education. 
Rev.  D.  Jarratt,  of  the  Church  of  England  in  Virginia, 
writing  from  the  southern  part  of  that  colony  in  1750, 
says  that  "he  had  learned  the  Division  of  Crops,  the 
Rule  of  Three,  and  Practice" ;  and  it  is  said  that  his 
fame  for  learning  had  traveled  one  hundred  miles.1  And 
no  doubt  the  best  educated  people  in  the  colony  were 
the  clergymen  of  the  Established  Church  and  govern- 
ment officers. 

The  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians  came  about  1740,  and 
began  to  settle  chiefly  in  the  central  and  western  parts  of 
the  colony,  and  with  them  came  a  general  awakening  on 
the  subject  of  education.  They  had  practical  ideas  of  re- 
ligion and  education.  Several  schools  of  a  high  grade 
were  established,  and  a  general  revival  of  education  fol- 
lowed. They  soon  had  schools  at  Wilmington,  Crowfield, 
Caldwell's  School  in  Guilford  county  (then  a  part  of 
Rowan),  and  at  Charlotte.  North  Carolina  is  greatly  in- 
debted to  the  Church  schools  for  its  educational  develop- 

1  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesse  Lee,"  by  Dr.  L.  M.  Lee,  pages  20-23. 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  9 

merit.     From  the  seed  that  was  sown  by  these  Christian 
settlers  our  schools  and  colleges  have  grown.1 

The  religious  condition  of  the  colony  will  next  claim 
our  attention.  And  in  order  to  find  out  its  religious  con- 
dition at  the  time  Methodism  was  introduced,  let  us  give 
a  brief  sketch  of  each  denomination  occupying  the  field 
previous  to  that  date,  1773. 

The  Friends. 

It  is  presumed  that  the  first  settlers  in  North  Carolina 
were  inclined  to  the  Church  of  England,  if  they  had  any 
religious  inclinations.  But  the  first  minister  of  the  gospel 
to  preach  in  North  Carolina  was  William  Edmundson,  a 
Quaker.  He  was  a  native  of  England,  and  was  born  in 
1627.  He  was  a  man  of  piety,  and  was  very  eloquent  as  a 
preacher.  Mr.  Edmundson  came  to  America  in  1671,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1672  he  made  a  visit  to  North  Carolina. 
In  his  Journal  he  gives  a  full  account  of  his  visit,  which 
shows  that  he  encountered  many  difficulties.  The  follow- 
ing is  a  most  graphic  description  of  a  night  spent  in  the 
forest :  "It  being  dark,  and  the  woods  thick,  I  walked  all 
night  between  two  trees ;  and  though  very  weary,  I  durst 
not  lie  down  on  the  ground,  for  my  clothes  were  wet  to 
my  skin.  I  had  eaten  little  or  nothing  that  day,  neither 
had  I  anything  to  refresh  me  but  the  Lord."2  The  next 
morning  he  reached  the  house  of  Henry  Phillips,  who 

'For  a  full  discussion  of  education  in  North  Carolina,  see  "His- 
tory of  Church  and  Private  Schools  in  North  Carolina,"  by  Dr.  C. 
L.  Raper. 

sEdmundson's  Journal,  page  67  (edition  1774). 


io  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

lived  where  the  town  of  Hertford  now  stands.1  Phillips 
and  his  wife  were  converted  in  New  England,  and,  as  they 
had  not  seen  a  Friend  for  seven  years,  the  sight  of  this 
man  of  God  made  them  weep  for  joy.  By  noon  they 
called  a  congregation  together,  when  Edmundson  preached 
the  first  sermon  known  to  have  been  delivered  in  North 
Carolina  since  the  destruction  of  Raleigh's  ill-fated  colony. 
The  congregation  was  large,  "but,"  Edmundson  says, 
"they  had  little  or  no  religion,  for  they  came  and  sat 
down  in  the  meeting  smoking  their  pipes."  But  God 
blessed  his  efforts  and  souls  were  converted,  among  the 
number  a  Mr.  Toms,  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  his  wife. 
By  invitation  the  preacher  conducted  services  at  their 
house  the  next  day.  Thus  God  honored  the  first  gospel 
sermon  preached  in  North  Carolina.  Edmundson  soon 
left  North  Carolina  and  returned  to  Virginia. 

The  second  missionary  to  the  colony  was  George  Fox, 
who  came  on  November  21,  1672.  He  went  by  canoe 
down  Bennett's  Creek  into  Chowan  River,  and  after  stop- 
ping at  Hugh  Smith's  in  the  western  part  of  the  present 
Chowan  county,  he  went  down  the  river  to  see  the  govern- 
or, who  lived  "where  the  town  of  Edenton  now  is."  The 
governor  received  him  kindly.  From  here  he  visited 
Perquimans  and  Pasquotank,  where  "the  people  were  ten- 
der and  much  desired  after  meeting."  He  says  in  his 
Journal :  "Having  visited  the  north  part  of  Carolina  and 
made  a  little  entrance  for  the  truth  among  the  people 
there,  we  began  to  return  toward  Virginia,  ....  having 
spent  about  eighteen  days  in  North  Carolina." 


'Moore's  "History  of  North  Carolina,"  Vol.  I.,  page  20. 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  n 

When  Edmundson  made  a  second  visit  to  North  Caro- 
lina, in  1676,  he  found  that  the  Friends  were  well  estab- 
lished. He  says,  'There  was  no  room  for  the  priests,  for 
Friends  were  finely  settled,  and  I  left  things  well  among 
them.''  At  the  commencement  of  the  Revolutionary  War 
the  Quakers  had  monthly  and  quarterly  meetings  in  Per- 
quimans, Pasquotank,  Orange,  Guilford,  Johnson,  and 
Cartaret;  and  in  all  they  must  have  numbered  several 
thousand  members.1  So  we  see  that  the  Quakers  began 
to  preach  in  North  Carolina  just  one  hundred  years  before 
the  Methodist  itinerant  entered  the  wilds  of  this  colony. 
But  their  progress  has  been  slow.  At  this  time  they  only 
number  six  thousand  in  the  state.  These  are  principally  in 
Guilford,  Randolph,  and  Davidson  counties,  with  quite  a 
number  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  state. 

"While  the  Friends  are  proverbial  for  soundness  of 
piety,  frugality,  and  industry,  they  are  signally  defective 
in  aggressive  power,  because  they  reject  the  active  and 
demonstrative  instrumentalities  of  propagating  the  gospel. 
It  is  a  Church  of  negative  rather  than  positive  institutions. 
Avoiding  the  show  of  pomp  of  ritualistic  demonstrations 
practiced  in  the  Catholic  Church,  they  have  run  into  the 
other  extreme  of  whispering  quietism,  that  fails  to  awaken 
a  world  sleeping  in  sinful  indulgences.  But  it  is  due  to 
the  Friends  to  say  that  their  meekness  of  spirit,  their  sim- 
plicity of  life,  their  bold  and  uncompromising  hostility  to 
all  forms  of  war,  have  diffused  a  very  mellow  and  salutary 

1(<Life  of  David  Caldwell,"  page  8. 


12  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

influence  through  society  beyond  their  own  Church.'"1 
The  Quakers  are  now  doing  more  evangelistic  work  than 
formerly ;  so  if  Dr.  Hudson  were  writing  at  present,  per- 
haps he  would  not  make  his  statements  so  strong. 

The  Established  Church. 

The  Established  Church  of  England  was  the  second 
denomination  to  do  missionary  work  in  North  Carolina. 
The  field  was  said  to  be  unpromising  for  many  years,  and 
to  the  Episcopal  ministers  it  seemed  very  near  heathenism 
when  the  first  mission  was  established.  This  Church  was 
established  by  law  in  the  province  in  1669.  But  it  only 
existed  in  theory  up  to  1700.  For  at  that  time  the  colony 
had  no  Episcopal  ministers  or  churches,  while  the  Quak- 
ers, as  we  have  just  seen,  were  well  organized,  and  by  the 
example  of  their  faithful  lives  and  earnest  efforts  were 
gathering  many  within  their  folds.2  The  Church  of  En- 
gland being  established  by  law,  other  forms  of  religion 
were  only  tolerated,  while  the  Established  Church  was  the 
national  religion  of  all  the  king's  dominions. 

These  early  English  settlers  came  mostly  from  Vir- 
ginia, and  located  on  the  creeks  and  rivers  near  the  Albe- 
marle Sound.  Others  crossed  over  to  Bath  and  along  the 
Roanoke,  and  settled  up  the  southern  parts  of  the  province. 
This  Church  had  the  advantage  of  all  other  Churches  in 
that  it  had  the  influence  of  the  government  behind  it.3 
But  it  is  now  claimed  by  that  Church  that  this  connection 

*Dr.  H..  T.  Hudson  in  Raleigh  Christian  Advocate,  April  19,  1876. 

2  "Religious  Development  in  North  Carolina,"  -Dr.  S.  B.  Weeks, 
page  32. 

3  "Church  History  in  North  Carolina,"  page  46. 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  13 

with  the  state  did  the  Church  a  great  evil;  that  while  the 
people  of  the  state  were  nominally  her  children,  and  the 
great  men  of  the  state  were  almost  without  an  exception 
her  own,  yet  the  Church  stood  helpless,  blind,  and  para- 
lyzed.1 

While  this  Church  was  established  by  the  government, 
the  people  were  not  taxed  for  its  support  at  once,  but  in 
November,  1701,  the  Assembly  passed  an  act  constituting 
each  of  the  four  precincts  in  Albemarle — namely,  Chowan, 
Perquimans,  Pasquotank,  and  Currituck — and  also  one 
precinct — Pamlico,  in  Bath  county — parishes,  and  ap- 
pointing a  select  vestry  in  each.  The  vestry  were  employed 
to  lay  a  tax  of  not  more  than  five  shillings  per  poll  to  build 
churches,  buy  glebes,  employ  ministers,  etc.2  "This  tax 
produced  tumults  and  insurrections  among  the  people." 
This  was  the  first  religious  dissent  in  North  Carolina.  It 
was  the  beginning  of  much  strife.  The  Quakers  were  the 
leaders  in  the  dissent. 

In  17023  the  first  church  was  built  in  Chowan  county, 
near  the  present  site  of  the  town  of  Edenton.4  The  first 
minister  of  the  Established  Church  in  North  Carolina  was 
Rev.  Daniel  Brett,  who  came  to  the  colony  in  the  year 
1700.  It  seems  that  his  chief  object  in  coming  was  not 
for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  upbuilding  of  the  Church,  but 
simply  to  obtain  a  support.    He  accomplished  but  little  for 

1  "Church  History  in  North  Carolina,"  page  88. 
"Ibid.,  page  52. 

"See  Hathaway  in  "Commemoration  of  Two  Hundred  Years  of 
St.  Paul's  Parish,"  page  24. 

'Williamson's  "History  of  North  Carolina,"  Vol.  I.,  page  169. 


14  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

the  Church,  if  anything,  but  strengthened  the  cause  of  the 
dissenters.  "Thus  ended  in  shame  and  disgrace  the  first 
missionary  effort  made  by  the  Church  of  England  to 
preach  the  gospel  in  North  Carolina."1 

In  1704  Rev.  John  Blair  came  as  a  representative  of  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign 
Parts.  He  remained  only  a  few  months,  and  his  report 
was  very  discouraging.  Rev.  William  Gordon  and  Rev. 
James  Adams  began  to  labor  in  the  four  parishes  of  Albe- 
marle in  1708.  They  were  true  and  faithful  ministers  of 
the  gospel.  Mr.  Gordon  remained  only  a  short  time,  but 
Mr.  Adams  labored  most  earnestly  for  about  three  years. 
He  died  near  the  close  of  the  year  17 10,  after  enduring 
many  trials  and  hardships.  Much  might  be  written  of  the 
ministers  of  this  Church  who  labored  in  the  province  up 
to  the  time  Methodism  was  introduced,  but  it  is  only  neces- 
sary for  our  purpose  to  glance  at  its  origin  and  growth. 

In  1 74 1  the  following  ministers  were  in  the  province: 
Rev.  Mr.  Gargin,  of  St.  Thomas's  Church,  Bath;  Rev. 
James  Moir,  of  St.  James  Church,  New  Hanover*;  Rev. 
Richard  Marsden ;  and  Rev.  John  Lapierre.  Rev.  Clement 
Hall  began  to  labor  as  an  itinerant  missionary  in  1744. 
Their  success  was  very  limited. 

The  fact  that  this  was  the  Established  Church,  and  that 
the  law  gave  it  special  privileges,  caused  much  opposition 
from  the  other  Churches.  For  unjust  as  it  may  seem,  up 
to  1766  only  clergymen  of  the  Established  Church  were 
allowed  to  perform  the  rite  of  matrimony.    And  after  that 

1  "Religious  Development  in  North  Carolina,"  page  35. 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  15 

time,  when  performed  by  others,  the  law  provided  that  in 
the  growing  settlements,  along  the  Yadkin  and  Catawba 
rivers,  if  there  were  an  Episcopal  clergyman  in  the  parish 
he  should  receive  the  fee,  unless  he  had  refused  to  perform 
the  ceremony.1  While  it  never  made  rapid  progress  in 
North  Carolina,  yet  it  is  admitted  that  it  had  the  majority 
at  the  time  of  the  Revolution.  In  1770  it  had  been  estab- 
lished at  Bath,  Newbern,  Wilmington,  Edenton,  and  in 
Edgecombe,  Halifax,  Northampton,  Orange,  Rowan, 
Mecklenberg,  and  Bute  counties.  The  people  in  the  north- 
ern counties,  from  Orange  to  the  seacoast,  were  almost 
wholly  English,  and  preferred  allegiance  to  the  Church  of 
England. 

Since  the  Revolution  the  Episcopal  Church  is  a  contin- 
uation of  the  Church  of  England,  with  some  modifications 
in  adapting  itself  to  our  free  institutions.  Its  form  of 
worship  is  very  solemn  and  beautiful,  but  not  calculated 
to  carry  conviction  to  the  hearts  of  sinners  and  cause  them 
to  cry,  "What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?"  Neither  have  they 
gone  into  the  "highways  and  hedges,"  but  confined  their 
labors  mostly  to  the  towns.  Consequently  their  growth 
has  been  slow. 

The  Baptists. 

The  next  religious  denomination  to  enter  North  Caro- 
lina was  the  Baptist.  It  is  thought  by  some  that  the  Bap- 
tists came  as  early  as  1695,  and  were  scattered  in  the  dif- 
ferent settlements  of  the  colony.  It  is  not  certainly  known 
at  what  time  or  in  what  number  they  came,  but  it  is  certain 

1  "Church  History  in  North  Carolina,"  page  79. 


16  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

there  was  a  Baptist  Church  organized  as  early  as  1727.1 
It  was  organized  in  Perquimans  county,  but  for  a  hun- 
dred years  it  has  had  its  local  habitation  at  Shiloh  in  Cam- 
den county.  Paul  Palmer,  a  native  of  Maryland,  was  the 
prime  mover  in  this  organization.  The  church  was  com- 
posed of  members  from  different  settlements. 

The  next  organization  was  at  Meherrin  in  1729,  by 
Joseph  and  William  Parker,  but  a  house  of  worship  was 
not  built  until  1735.  The  average  salary  paid  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  pastor  was  about  one  hundred  dollars  a  year, 
which  was  quite  liberal  at  that  time,  all  things  considered. 

The  third  church  organized  was  that  of  Kehukee  in 
1742,  by  Rev.  William  Sojourner,  who  came  from  Berk- 
ley in  Virginia.  It  is  situated  on  Kehukee  Creek  in  Hali- 
fax county.  The  Kehukee  Association  derived  its  name 
from  this  church,  and  held  its  first  meeting  at  this  place.2 
Sojourner  gave  the  land  upon  which  the  church  was  built 
and  became  its  first  pastor.  It  was  well  located  in  that  it 
was  accessible,  and  "in  the  center  of  population  and 
wealth."  Its  influence  soon  extended  over  a  large  area. 
It  had  a  branch  church  at  Sandy  Run,  which  flourished 
from  the  first,  and  at  Palecasi,  Pleasant  Grove,  and  Coun- 
aritsa,  which  became  strong  churches.  Mr.  Sojourner  was 
abundant  in  labor,  and  his  life,  though  short,  was  fruitful. 
The  work  which  he  began  at  Kehukee  extended  into 
Bertie,  Hertford,  Northampton,  Halifax,  Granville,  War- 


'Dr.  Huffman  in  "Baptist  Historical  Papers,"  Vol.  I.,  No.  3. 
page  167. 

2  "History  of  the  Kehukee  Baptist  Association,"  Tarboro,  1831, 
page  282. 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  17 

ren,  Nash,  Edgecombe,  Wake,  Johnston,  Sampson,  and 
Bladen  counties. 

On  November  22,  1755,  another  Baptist  church  was  or- 
ganized at  Sandy  Creek,1  in  Guilford  county,  which  soon 
became  a  center  of  influence  for  the  Baptist  Church  in 
North  Carolina.  Shubal  Stearns,  of  Boston,  labored  with 
a  sect  of  Baptists  known  as  "New  Lights"  until  1751.2  It 
seems  that  when  George  Whitefield  visited  New  England 
under  his  eloquent  preaching  a  gracious  revival  started. 
Mr.  Whitefield  did  not  organize.  But  his  converts  were 
full  of  zeal  and  possessed  much  spiritual  power.  They 
were  called  "New  Lights."  Many  of  them  were  Baptists, 
while  some  were  Presbyterians.  Shubal  Stearns  and  fif- 
teen others  came  to  Sandy  Creek  (1775),  and  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  erect  a  meetinghouse.  Stearns  was  installed  as 
their  pastor,  and  the  church  flourished  under  his  adminis- 
tration; for  this  soon  became  a  large  and  influential  con- 
gregation. Dr.  Huffman  says,  "Great  crowds  came  to 
hear  the  preaching,  many  from  remote  settlements."  They 
came  from  Abbott's  Creek,  thirty  miles  west;  from  Haw 
River  settlements;  from  Rocky  River  and  Deep  River, 
farther  south;  and  from  Little  River  in  Montgomery 
county.  It  will  be  seen  how  the  work  progressed  when  it 
was  stated  that  in  less  than  three  years  the  membership 
had  increased  to  nine  hundred  or  more. 

About  the  same  time  that  Stearns  was  organizing  in 
Guilford,  the  Baptists  were  organizing  at  Grassy  Creek  in 

'Benedict's  "History  of  the  Baptists,"  Vol.  II.,  page  38. 
'"History  of  the  Baptists  in  Virginia,"  by  R.  B.   Semple,  Rich- 
mond, 1810,  page  3. 

2 


18  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Granville  and  in  Bladen  and  New  Hanover  counties.  So 
that  in  1776,  when  the  Carolina  Circuit  was  formed,  and 
the  first  Methodist  preacher  appointed  to  this  territory,  the 
Baptists  had  established  churches  in  every  county  of  the 
province,1  from  Rutherford  county,  which  was  then  the 
western  limit,  to  Currituck  on  the  east.  The  number  of 
churches  is  not  definitely  known,  but  Rev.  Mr.  Devin  esti- 
mates that  there  were  at  least  forty  in  the  colony,  besides 
a  considerable  number  of  branches  which  afterwards  ma- 
tured into  churches.  'The  records  of  Grassy  Creek  show 
that  there  were  several  branches  of  much  interest  under  its 
supervision,  which  were  not  regularly  organized  until  after 
the  close  of  the  war.  What  was  true,  in  this  regard,  of 
this  church  was  also  true  of  many  others."  "In  seventeen 
years  Sandy  Creek  Church  had  spread  her  branches  south- 
ward as  far  as  Georgia,  and  eastward  to  the  ocean  and 
Chesapeake  Bay,  and  northward  to  the  waters  of  the  Poto- 
mac, increasing  in  seventeen  years  to  forty-two  churches 
and  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  ministers." 

The  Baptists  were  more  aggressive  than  either  the 
Quakers  or  the  Established  Church.  The  great  majority 
of  them  have  been  missionary  in  spirit,  and  have  been  full 
of  zeal  in  spreading  the  glad  tidings  to  a  lost  world ;  and 
their  labors  have  been  greatly  blessed.  They  are  still  nu- 
merous in  the  state,  and  are  ready  to  push  forward  every 
interest  which  is  for  the  spiritual  uplifting  of  humanity. 
These  good  people  had  many  years  the  start  of  Methodism 
in  North  Carolina,  but  from  the  day  that  the  pioneers  of 


1  "Baptist  Historical  Papers,"  Vol.  II.,  page  67. 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  19 

Methodism  entered  the  state,  they  have  vied  with  them  in 
every  good  word  and  work. 

The  Presbyterians. 

Presbyterianism  was  introduced  into  North  Carolina 
with  the  coming  of  the  Scotch-Irish  and  Highlanders. 
About  1736  Henry  McCulloch  induced  a  large  number  of 
settlers  to  settle  on  some  of  the  land  which  he  had  obtained 
from  George  II.  They  came  chiefly  from  the  province  of 
Ulster  in  Ireland,  and  settled  first  in  Duplin  county,  but  in 
a  short  time  the  whole  central  part  of  the  state  was  over- 
run. Presbyterian  ministers  soon  followed  them,  coming 
as  missionaries.  The  first  to  preach  in  the  province  was 
William  Robinson,  but  James  Campbell  was  the  first  or- 
dained minister  to  settle  there.1  A  considerable  number 
from  the  Scotch  Highlands  entered  the  colony  in  1746, 
and  settled  on  the  Cape  Fear,  forming  a  settlement  in  the 
midst  of  which  the  town  of  Fayetteville  now  stands.2 
There  was  also  another  settlement  on  what  was  known  as 
the  Welch  Tract  on  the  northeast  Cape  Fear  near  Welling- 
ton.3 Williamson,  in  his  "History  of  North  Carolina," 
says  that  "in  1749  Neal  McNeal  arrived  at  Wilmington 
with  his  family  and  five  or  six  hundred  colonists,  who  set- 
tled, some  in  Anson,  others  in  Bladen,  but  most  of  them  in 
Cumberland."4    And  from  1749,  for  several  years,  there 


'Foote's  "Sketches  of  North  Carolina,"  page  158. 
2  "Life  of  David  Caldwell,"  page  88;  Martin's  "History  of  North 
Carolina,"  Vol.  II.,  page  48. 

Toote's  "Sketches  of  North  Carolina,"  page  77. 
'Williamson's  "History  of  North  Carolina,"  page  79. 


20  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

seem  to  have  been  annual  importations.  The  Scotch- 
Irish  began  to  settle  along  the  Eno  and  Haw  rivers  as  early 
as  1738  and  1739. 

Rev.  Alexander  Craighead  was  the  first  Presbyterian 
minister  to  settle  in  western  Carolina.  He  accepted  a  call 
at  Rocky  River  in  1758,  and  he  was  the  only  minister  of 
the  gospel  for  several  years  in  all  that  beautiful  section  of 
country  between  the  Yadkin  and  Catawba.1  There  were 
Presbyterian  settlements  scattered  over  the  Piedmont  sec- 
tion all  the  way  from  Greensboro  to  Charlotte.  Prior  to 
the  Revolutionary  War,  Patillo  was  preaching  in  Orange 
county,  Dr.  Caldwell  in  Guilford,  McCorkle  in  Rowan, 
and  Hall  in  Iredell. 

However,  the  exact  strength  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
at  the  time  the  "Carolina  Circuit"  was  formed  in  1776  is 
not  definitely  known  by  this  writer.  We  know  that  they 
were  well  established  at  that  time  in  some  of  the  best  sec- 
tions of  the  state.  As  far  back  as  1755  there  were  four- 
teen congregations  that  were  looking  to  the  Presbytery  to 
supply  them  with  pastors.2  From  this  and  the  numerous 
importations  which  were  coming  to  this  section,  we  would 
judge  that  the  Church  had  made  great  progress  by  1776. 
For  at  that  time  they  were  well  organized  in  the  Newbern, 
Hillsboro,  Cape  Fear,  and  Piedmont  sections.  They  were 
among  the  most  industrious  and  intelligent  of  the  early 
settlers.  They  did  more  at  that  day  for  education  than 
any  other  Church.  They  did  much  in  the  struggle  for  in- 
dependence.    And  after  freedom  and  independence  had 

'Foote's  "Sketches  of  North  Carolina,"  page  186. 
'"'  "Life  of  David  Caldwell,"  page  94. 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  21 

been  obtained,  they  continued  to  put  forth  every  effort  to 
enlighten,  elevate,  and  save  the  people.  The  Presbyterians 
and  Methodists  frequently  worked  together  in  revivals  in 
the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century.  They  differed 
widely,  or  thought  they  did,  upon  the  subjects  of  Calvin- 
ism and  Arminianism,  and  during  the  past  century  they  en- 
gaged in  many  a  hard-fought  battle  upon  these  questions. 
Presbyterians  had  many  advantages  over  the  Methodists, 
and  some  few  over  the  other  Churches  in  the  state.  They 
were  grounded  in  the  faith  of  their  religion  when  they 
came  to  the  colony.  They  were  well  educated,  and  espe- 
cially their  ministers.  Their  preoccupancy  of  the  field  for 
many  years  gave  them  a  great  advantage  over  the  Meth- 
odists. Then  they  did  not  suffer  from  the  Revolutionary 
War  like  the  other  Churches,  but  increased  during  the 
war  as  much  as  they  did  at  any  period  afterwards  for  fifty 
years.1  When  we  consider  all  of  these  advantages,  we  are 
surprised  that  they  have  not  made  greater  progress  and 
growth.  When  we  compare  the  strength  of  Methodism 
to-day  with  the  other  Churches  that  were  here  long  before 
the  Methodist  pioneer  entered  the  state,  we  feel  like  ex- 
claiming, "The  Lord  has  done  great  things  for  us,  whereof 
we  are  glad !" 

Lutheran  and  German  Reformed  Churches. 

The  Germans  who  settled  in  the  central  and  western 
part  of  the  state  were  about  equally  divided  between  the 
Lutheran  and  German  Reformed  denominations.  They 
were  mostly  from  Pennsylvania,  and  settled  principally  on 

1  "Life  of  David  Caldwell,"  page  249. 


22  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

both  sides  of  the  Yadkin  River,  in  Guilford,  Davidson, 
Rowan,  Stanly,  and  Cabarrus  counties.  The  Scotch-Irish 
were  on  friendly  terms  with  these  Germans,  and  settled 
near  by,  just  to  the  west  of  them  in  Mecklenburg  and 
along  up  and  down  the  Catawba  River.1 

Dr.  Bernheim  thinks  that  the  Palatines  who  settled  be- 
tween the  Neuse  and  Cape  Fear  rivers,  and  those  who 
founded  Newbern,  naming  it  after  Berne  in  Switzerland, 
were  originally  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  He 
shows  very  conclusively  that  they  did  not  belong  to  the 
Church  of  England.2  They,  no  doubt,  came  as  religious 
refugees. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  get  the  statistics  of  these  early 
churches.  Dr.  Eli  Caruthers  estimates  that  they  had  at 
least  twenty  churches  before  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence. They  were  mostly  organized  between  1770  and 
1775.  Their  greatest  need,  at  that  period,  was  preachers; 
they  had  but  few,  and  they  were  not  noted  for  intelligence, 
zeal,  or  usefulness.3  The  Germans  in  these  settlements 
were  economical  and  industrious,  and  among  them  could 
be  found  our  best  farmers.  When  they  came  to  North 
Carolina,  very  few  of  them  could  speak  the  English  lan- 
guage. Some  of  the  old  people  can  still  use  the  German 
tongue.  The  ministers  preached  in  both  languages  for 
many  years,  alternating  between  the  German  and  the  Eng- 
lish.    Their  Churches,   the  Lutheran  and   German   Re- 

1  "History  of  German  Settlements  in  North  Carolina,"  Bernheim, 
page  153. 

*Ibid.,  pages  79,  80. 

8  "Life  of  David  Caldwell,"  page  90. 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  23 

formed,  have  had  a  slow  growth.     They  are  still  few  in 
numbers  in  North  Carolina. 

The  Moravians. 

The  Moravians  came  in  1753,  and  most  of  them  settled 
in  what  is  now  known  as  Forsyth  county.  Of  the  thirty 
thousand  Germans  who  left  their  own  country  to  seek  their 
fortunes  in  the  New  World,  only  about  eighteen  thousand 
settled  in  North  Carolina.1  And  the  Moravians  consti- 
tuted only  a  small  proportion  of  the  German  population 
who  came  to  the  colony.2  They  procured  a  large  tract  of 
land  from  Lord  Granville  which  for  the  most  part  was  an 
uninhabited  and  utterly  unknown  wilderness.  The  first 
settlement  was  Bethabara,  now  known  as  Old  Town. 
Here  they  suffered  many  hardships,  especially  during  the 
first  winter.  Their  Church  was  necessarily  weak  at  the 
time  Methodism  came  into  the  colony.  For  in  1762  there 
were  only  seventy-five  in  the  congregation  at  Bethabara, 
and  seventy-two  at  Bethania.  They  were  good  people 
with  whom  to  settle  a  new  country;  moral,  intelligent, 
and  industrious.  And  they  were  not  surpassed  by  any  for 
sobriety  and  good  order. 

Salem  was  selected  as  their  central  settlement.  The 
first  house  in  this  town  was  completed  in  1769.  Here  they 
also  built  a  church,  and  as  early  as  1794  a  school  for  boys ; 
and  a  girls'  school  was  opened  in  1802,  which  was  soon 
known  as  Salem  Female  Academy.     This  school  has  not 


'Reichel's  History,  page  19. 

2  "Life  of  David  Caldwell,"  page 


24  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

only  been  a  blessing  to  North  Carolina,  but  to  the  wom- 
anhood of  the  entire  South.  Moravians  believe  in  Chris- 
tian education,  and  it  is  seen  in  their  history  from  the 
beginning.  They  also  have  the  missionary  idea,  and  for 
this  cause  they  pay  more  per  member  than  any  of  their 
sister  denominations.  But  for  some  reason  they  have 
never  grown  much  in  North  Carolina. 

In  the  foregoing  pages  we  have  tried  to  show  the  reader 
something  of  the  intellectual  and  religious  life  of  the  col- 
ony before,  and  at  the  time,  Methodism  was  introduced 
within  its  bounds.  Our  space  would  not  admit  going  into 
details.  But  this  will  suffice  to  give  a  glance  at  the  field  to 
be  cultivated  by  this  new  sect  called  Methodists  that  was 
said  to  be  "turning  the  world  upside  down."  Enough  has 
been  said  to  reveal  the  fact  that  ignorance  and  wickedness 
predominated.  The  principal  denominations  were  here 
already  established,  one  of  them  for  a  hundred  years  be- 
fore Methodism  entered  the  territory.  Many  of  the  early 
settlers  came  with  their  religious  convictions  and  Church 
preferences,  and  at  once  went  to  work  to  establish  their 
Church  in  the  colony.  The  Methodist  preacher  came  not 
to  represent  and  build  up  a  denomination,  because  at  that 
time  he  only  belonged  to  a  society  in  the  Church  of  En- 
gland, but  his  only  mission  was  to  preach  the  gospel  to  a 
lost  and  dying  race ;  and  in  these  pages  we  wish  to  follow 
him  in  his  persecutions,  toils,  and  triumphs.  He  expected 
opposition  when  he  preached  a  present  pardon  and  internal 
evidence  of  that  pardon,  or  witness  of  the  Spirit.  He 
knew  that  the  revival  fire  that  so  frequently  kindled  under 


A  Glance  at  Early  Conditions.  25 

his  preaching  would  be  opposed  and  criticised  by  the 
clergy  of  the  Established  Church.  He  knew  that  the 
"earnest  offer  of  Christ"s  death  and  mediation  as  means 
available  by  faith  for  the  salvation  of  all  men,  without 
distinction  and  without  reservation,"  would  seem  prepos- 
terous, if  not  profane,  to  those  who  had  in  mind  Calvin's 
"horrible  decree."  But  none  of  these  things  moved  him. 
He  came  and  in  the  name  of  God  set  up  his  banner.  These 
itinerants  were  opposed  and  criticised  by  Churchmen,  Cal- 
vinists,  and  Quakers.  "Still  the  people  flocked  by  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  to  hear  them,  and  multitudes  became 
the  subjects  of  this  strange  work.  Their  plain,  earnest, 
and  scriptural  appeals  to  conscience ;  their  solemn  and  de- 
vout manners ;  their  disinterestedness,  and  extraordinary 
faith  and  dauntless  moral  courage  exhibited;  and,  above 
all,  the  wonderful  power  which  attended  their  ministry, 
were  well  calculated  to  excite  attention.  And  they  did 
excite  attention."  Private  houses,  schoolhouses,  and  the 
few  meetinghouses  were  soon  found  to  be  insufficient  to 
accommodate  the  immense  crowds  who  came  to  hear  the 
circuit  preacher.  Barns  were  frequently  resorted  to,  but 
they  were  too  small.  Then  they  went  to  the  groves, 
"nature's  own  temples,"  and  erected  a  temporary  pulpit, 
where  the  gospel  was  preached  in  its  simplicity  and  power, 
which  was  frequently  followed  by  the  cry  of  the  lost,  like 
the  wail  of  the  wounded  on  some  battlefield,  while  the 
songs  and  shouts  of  the  saved  were  heard  to  rise  in  peans 
of  praise  to  the  God  of  victory. 


CHAPTER  II. 

INTRODUCTION  OF  METHODISM  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

Origin  of  Methodism:  In  America — New  York — Maryland.  Local 
Preachers  did  First  Organizing.  Joseph  Pilmoor  Enters  North 
Carolina.  George  Whitefield.  Letters  of  Rev.  James  Reed.  New 
Lights.  Letter  of  Governor  Tryon.  Joseph  Pilmoor's  Journal. 
Newbern.  Wilmington.  Sketch  of  Pilmoor.  Robert  Williams. 
D.  Jarratt.  First  Societies  Organized  in  North  Carolina.  Thom- 
as Rankin :  His  Visit — Preaches  to  Large  Congregations.  Sketch 
of  Robert  Williams. 

Methodism  did  not  have  its  origin  in  the  New  World, 
but  here  it  found  a  soil  in  which  to  have  its  greatest 
growth.  It  began  in  England,  in  the  year  1729.  Mr. 
Wesley,  in  giving  an  account  of  the  rise  of  Methodism, 
says:  "In  1729  my  brother  and  I,  by  reading  the  Bible, 
saw  inward  and  outward  holiness  therein;  followed  after 
it,  and  incited  others  to  do  so."  This  reveals  its  spirit  and 
mission.  It  was  not  to  establish  a  new  doctrine,  or  a  new 
Church,  but  to  seek  after  a  new  life,  and  to  get  others  to 
do  likewise.  Its  life  is  spiritual,  and  to  carry  this  life  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth  is  its  mission.  Wesley,  its  founder, 
said,  "The  world  is  my  parish."  With  this  desire  to  re- 
vive a  formal  and  dying  Christianity,  having  caught  the 
spirit  of  the  Master,  who  said,  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,"  it  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  and  its  fires  were  soon  kindled  upon  the  shores  of 
the  New  World. 

As  to  where  Methodism  was  introduced  in  America  is 
a  question  upon  which  the  best  authorities  are  divided.    A 
(26) 


ROBERT    STRAWBRIDGE. 


Introduction  of  Methodism.  27 

discussion  of  this  subject  does  not  come  within  the  scope 
of  this  work;  neither  is  it  material  to  us  whether  New 
York  shall  have  this  honor  or  Maryland.  Both  have  their 
advocates.  Some  claim  that  the  first  Methodist  preaching 
and  first  meetinghouse  built  in  America  were  in  the  city  of 
New  York.  Others  claim  that  Robert  Strawbridge  moved 
from  Ireland  probably  in  1760,  and  immediately  opened 
his  house  for  preaching,  he  having  joined  the  Methodists 
before  leaving  his  native  land ;  and  that  the  first  meeting- 
house erected  in  America  was  near  Sam's  Creek  in  Mary- 
land ;  while  Philip  Embury  did  not  begin  his  work  in  New 
York  until  about  1766.  Jesse  Lee,  our  first  Methodist 
historian,  gives  New  York  the  precedence.  He  says :  "Not 
long  after  the  society  was  formed  in  New  York,  Robert 
Strawbridge,  from  Ireland,  who  had  settled  in  Frederick 
county,  in  the  state  of  Maryland,  began  to  hold  meetings 
in  public,  and  joined  a  society  together  near  Pipe  Creek."1 
It  is  not  disputed  that  Philip  Embury  organized  in  New 
York  and  Robert  Strawbridge  in  Maryland;  that  these 
consecrated  men  were  local  preachers,  and  to  them  belongs 
the  honor  of  organizing  the  first  societies  in  America. 

The  society  in  New  York  soon  felt  the  need  of  an  ex- 
perienced preacher,  and  hence  they  appealed  to  Mr.  Wes- 
ley.2 The  Conference  was  in  session  at  Leeds  when  on 
Thursday  Mr.  Wesley  presented  the  claims  of  his  brethren 
in  New  York.  Richard  Boardman  and  Joseph  Pilmoor 
offered  themselves  for  service  in  America.     These  breth- 

^ee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  25. 
2"History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,"  by  Nathan  Bangs, 
D.D.,  page  52. 


28  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

ren,  who  were  the  first  regular  itinerant  Methodist  preach- 
ers to  visit  this  country,  landed  at  Gloucester  Point,  six 
miles  from  Philadelphia,  on  October  24,  1769.  Mr. 
Boardman  went  to  New  York  to  enter  upon  his  serv- 
ices, while  Mr.  Pilmoor  began  his  work  in  Philadelphia. 
Mr.  Pilmoor  started  south,  stopping  and  preaching  in 
Maryland  and  strengthening  the  work  begun  by  Mr. 
Strawbridge;  he  continued  through  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina.  He  entered  our  state  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  year,  1772,  and  hence  was  the  first  Methodist  preacher 
that  penetrated  the  wilds  of  North  Carolina. 

Of  course  George  Whitefield  passed  through  the  colony 
several  times,  and  preached  in  some  of  the  eastern  towns. 
He  visited  America  seven  times,  and  sometimes  traveled 
overland  from  Philadelphia  to  Savannah  to  visit  his  or- 
phan house  which  he  had  established  at  that  place.  He 
visited  Bathtown  in  the  winter  of  1748  for  his  health,  but 
for  some  reason  he  did  not  remain  long.  While  there 
he  wrote  to  some  of  his  friends  in  New  York  who  were 
anxious  about  him :  "I  am  here,  hunting  in  the  woods, 
these  iingospclizcd  wilds,  for  sinners."1  At  Newbern  "his 
preaching  was  attended  with  uncommon  influence."2  This 
visit  was  in  1739-40.  But  it  must  be  remembered  tljat 
while  Whitefield  and  Wesley  were  a  unit  in  the  main  upon 
this  great  revival  movement,  yet  they  differed  very  ma- 

1  "Biography  of  George  Whitefield,"  compiled  by  Joseph  Belcher. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  when  Mr.  Whitefield  visited  Bath,  which  is 
the  oldest  town  in  the  state,  "upon  being  refused  cheer  or  comfort 
for  the  night,  he  walked  outside  of  the  town,  shook  its  dust  from 
his  feet,  and  since  that  time  it  has  never  prospered." 

""History  of  Methodism,"  McTyeire,  page  188. 


4\ 


^sp3fr: 


GEORGE    WHITEFIELD. 


Introduction  of  Methodism.  29 

terially  upon  the  great  doctrines  of  Arminianism  and  Cal- 
vinism. Whitefield  adhered  to  Calvinism,  while  John 
"Wesley  was  a  strong  advocate  of  Arminianism;  so  that 
George  Whitefield  could  not  properly  be  styled  an  itin- 
erant Methodist  preacher. 

But  it  is  claimed  that  there  were  Methodists  scattered 
over  the  eastern  portion  of  the  state  as  early  as  1760.  At 
this  time  Rev.  James  Reed,  writing  from  Newbern  to  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  says :  "Great 
numbers  of  dissenters  of  all  denominations  came  and  set- 
tled among  us  from  New  England,  particularly  Anabap- 
tists, Methodists,  Quakers,  and  Presbyterians.  The  Ana- 
baptists are  obstinate,  illiterate,  and  grossly  ignorant ;  the 
Methodists,  ignorant,  censorious,  and  uncharitable."1  The 
next  letter  he  writes  is  also  from  Newbern,  and  is  dated 
June  25,  1761 :  "The  Methodists  of  late  have  given  me  a 
good  deal  of  trouble  along  the  borders  of  my  parish  by 
preaching  up  the  inexpediency  of  human  learning  and  the 
practice  of  moral  virtue,  and  the  great  expediency  of 
dreams,  visions,  and  immediate  revelations.  I  have  labored 
much  to  stop  their  progress,  and  I  thank  God  with  great 
success.  If  the  Society  could  favor  me  with  a  few  suitable 
small  tracts,  they  would  be  of  great  service  at  present  by 
preventing  the  poor,  ignorant  people  from  being  deluded 
and  easing  the  heavy  burden  of,  sir,  your  most  humble 
servant."2  In  another  letter,  dated  December  26,  1761, 
he  says :  "The  fervor  of  the  Methodists  upon  the  skirts 
and  borders  of  my  parish,  which  I  mentioned  in  my  last, 

1  "Colonial  Records  of  North  Carolina,"  Vol.  VI.,  page  265. 
■Ibid.,  page  565. 


30  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

is  very  much  abated,  and  the  little  ground  they  had  gained 
in  this  country,  I  verily  believe,  will,  in  a  few  months,  be 
totally  lost."1 

If  we  were  to  consider  the  above  in  connection  with  a 
statement  made  by  Jesse  Lee  and  published  in  1810,  with- 
out examining  other  records,  we  would  naturally  conclude 
that  there  were,  as  early  as  1760,  Methodists  in  North 
Carolina  who  were  real  followers  of  John  Wesley.  Jesse 
Lee  says:  "Previous  to  the  year  1766,  some  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Society  from  Europe  settled  in  the 
United  States  (then  British  colonies),  but  were  scattered 
about  as  sheep  having  neither  fold  nor  shepherd."2  The 
date  of  the  first  organization  in  New  York  was  1766.  This 
evidence,  gathered  from  the  "Colonial  Records"  and  from 
Jesse  Lee,  is  strong  in  favor  of  the  claim  that  there  were 
Methodists  in  North  Carolina  previous  to  the  organiza- 
tion in  New  York  or  Maryland.  The  only  objection  that 
could  be  brought  against  the  testimony  of  James  Reed 
is  that  his  description  does  not  fit  the  Methodists.  Yet 
that  can  be  accounted  for  when  we  remember  that  he 
belonged  to  the  Established  Church,  and  that  frequently 
at  that  period  such  language  was  used  in  speaking  of 
dissenters. 

But  on  December  21,  1764,  Rev.  James  Reed  writes  a 
letter  in  which  he  described  the  visit  of  Rev.  George 
Whitefield  to  Newbern.  In  this  letter  he  states  that 
Whitefield  said  that  the  enthusiastic  sect  in  these  parts 
known  by  the  name  of  Methodists  had  been  improperly 

1  "Colonial  Records  of  North  Carolina,'-'  Vol.  VI.,  page  594. 
'Lee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  24. 


Introduction  of  Methodism.  31 

named,  for  that  there  were  none  properly  called  by  that 
name  but  the  followers  of  himself  and  Mr.  Wesley.1 
These  Methodists,  as  appears  from  one  of  James  Reed's 
letters,  contended  for  "the  rebaptizing  of  adults  and  the 
doctrine  of  the  irresistible  influence  of  the  Spirit,"  while 
Whitefield  recommended  infant  baptism  and  condemned 
the  doctrine  of  the  irresistible  influence  of  the  Spirit,  de- 
claring himself  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England. 
There  is  no  reason  why  Whitefield  should  have  made  these 
statements  if  they  had  been  real  Methodists.  And  cer- 
tainly no  one  in  this  country  at  that  time  could  speak  with 
so  much  authority  upon  this  subject  as  Mr.  Whitefield, 
and  he  declares  positively  that  they  were  not  Methodists. 
We  can  account  for  the  statements  of  Mr.  Reed  only  in 
one  way.  It  is  probable  that  he  got  the  name  confused 
with  a  sect  that  was  then  attracting  attention  along  the 
coast,  known  as  New  Lights. 

Soon  after  the  last  letter  written  by  Mr.  Reed,  Governor 
Tryon  writes  to  the  Society  upon  the  religious  condition  of 
the  country,  in  which  he  says :  "Every  sect  abounds  here 
except  the  Roman  Catholic,  and  by  the  best  information  I 
can  get,  Presbytery  and  a  sect  who  call  themselves  New 
Lights  (not  of  the  flock  of  Mr.  Whitefield,  but  Superior 
Lights  from  New  England)  appear  in  the  front.  These 
New  Lights  live  chiefly  in  the  maritime  counties;  the 
Presbyterians  are  settled  mostly  in  the  back  or  westward 
counties,  though  the  Church  of  England  I  reckon,  at  pres- 
ent, to  have  the  majority  of  all  other  sects."2 


1  "Colonial  Records  in  North  Carolina,"  Vol.  VI.,  page  1060. 
*Ibid.,  Vol.  VII.,  page  102. 


32  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

From  the  time  that  Mr.  Whitefield  declared  that  a  cer- 
tain sect  was  improperly  called  Methodists,  there  is  not 
another  reference  made  to  them  as  such ;  but  in  the  next 
letter,  on  the  religious  condition  of  the  colony,  there  is  a 
sect  called  New  Lights  which  had  not  been  mentioned  be- 
fore, but  explaining  at  the  same  time  that  they  were  not 
of  the  flock  of  Mr.  Whitefield.  This  looks  as  if  Mr.  Reed 
was  confused  in  his  use  of  the  terms,  Methodists  and  New 
Lights.  The  reader  will  also  notice  that  the  sect  spoken 
of  by  Mr.  Reed  was  from  New  England,  and  Governor 
Tryon  says  the  New  Lights  were  from  New  England. 
Again,  if  there  were  two  separate  sects  they  were  the  same 
in  doctrine, — both  Calvinistic.  The  Presbyterians  at  that 
day  were  sometimes  called  the  New  Lights.1  The  Bap- 
tists were  also  called  New  Lights.2 

Mr.  Whitefield  by  his  eloquent  preaching  no  doubt  pre- 
pared the  way  for  the  planting  of  Methodism.  So  also  did 
the  preaching  of  Joseph  Pilmoor,  who  was  the  first  Meth- 
odist preacher  sent  out  by  Mr.  Wesley  to  enter  North  Car- 
olina. Perhaps  some  extracts  from  Mr.  Pilmoor's  Journal 
will  be  interesting  to  the  reader. 

After  Pilmoor  had  been  preaching  for  some  time  in  Vir- 
ginia and  organized  the  first  society  in  that  province,  he 
turned  his  face  toward  North  Carolina.  In  making  the 
statement  in  reference  to  his  organizing  in  Virginia,  we 
are  aware  that  every  Methodist  historian,  so  far  as  known, 


'Minutes  of  1810.  For  a  fuller  account  of  the  New  Lights  see 
Benedict's  "History  of  the  Baptists."  Also  Arminian  Magazine, 
Philadelphia,  1790,  page  601. 

Benedict's  History,  Vol.  II.,  page  29. 


Introduction  of  Methodism.  33 

with  only  one  exception,1  gives  the  honor  of  organizing 
the  first  society  in  Virginia  to  Robert  Williams.  Pilmoor 
entered  Virginia  on  July  17,  1772;  and  while  it  is  true 
that  Robert  Williams  was  in  Norfolk  the  spring  before 
and  preached,  yet  there  is  no  account  of  his  organizing  a 
society  until  1774.2 

The  first  society  organized  in  Virginia  was  organized 
in  Portsmouth  by  Joseph  Pilmoor  on  November  14,  1772. 
Pilmoor  says  in  his  Journal :  "Had  a  vast  multitude  [in 
Portsmouth]  to  hear  me  read  and  explain  the  Rules  of  the 
Society.  When  I  had  done  so,  as  they  have  been  deeply 
convinced  of  their  need  of  a  Saviour  and  are  truly  desirous 
to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  I  joined  twenty-seven  of 
them  who  are  determined  to  seek  the  Lord  while  he  may 
be  found." 

Two  days  after  this  he  organized  a  society  in  Norfolk. 
Of  that  event,  which  is  so  interesting  and  important  in 
Methodist  history,  we  will  let  Pilmoor  furnish  the  account 
which  follows:  "Thursday,  November  the  16th,  1772. 
Having  proposed  to  form  a  society  in  Norfolk,  I  went  to 
the  preaching  house  and  gave  an  exhortation  on  the  nature 
and  necessity  of  meeting  together  to  help  build  each  other 
up  in  the  faith  of  the  gospel.  I  then  withdrew  to  Captain 
Carson's,  where  I  laid  the  foundation  of  a  society  by  join- 
ing twenty-six  of  them  together  who  are  likely  to  war  a 
good  warfare  and  obtain  the  victory  through  the  blood  of 

the  Lamb I  have  long  wept  and  prayed  that  God 

would  raise  up  a  people  in  this  place,  and  now  my  prayer 

JDr.  John  Atkinson. 

*Lee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  51. 
S 


34  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

is  answered,  and  I  clasp  my  hands  exultingly  in  the  halle- 
luiahs to  the  Lord  the  King." 

It  is  sure  that  Pilmoor  organized  in  the  twin  cities  of 
Portsmouth  and  Norfolk;  and  as  these  were  the  chief 
preaching  places  in  the  state  for  the  Methodists,  and  hav- 
ing no  account  of  any  society  being  organized  earlier,  we 
feel  sure  that  to  Joseph  Pilmoor  belongs  the  honor  of  or- 
ganizing the  first  society  in  Virginia. 

We  have  no  account  that  Pilmoor  organized  in  North 
Carolina,  but  he  has  the  honor  of  preaching  the  first  Meth- 
odist sermon  in  the  colony,  on  September  28,  1772.  "On 
the  twenty-seventh  of  September,  1772,  he  says:  'I  took 
leave  of  my  dear  friends  for  a  little  while  and  set  out  for 
North  Carolina.  The  day  was  very  hot  and  my  way  was 
through  the  woods.  I  called  at  many  little  houses  on  the 
road,  but  could  get  nothing  for  my  horse  till  late  in  the 
afternoon,  when  I  found  a  little  ordinary,  where  I  stopped 
to  dine.  I  resolved  to  stop  there  all  night.  In  the  evening 
several  young  countrymen  came  in  who  desired  to  speak 
to  me,  and  we  spent  our  time  in  agreeable  conversation, 
singing,  and  prayer.'  Next  morning  he  resumed  his  jour- 
ney, and  a  little  before  noon  reached  Currituck  Court- 
house, in  North  Carolina.  He  began  without  delay,  and 
declared  to  Churchmen,  Baptists,  and  Presbyterians,  'He 
shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire.'  "  It 
was  a  good  text  for  a  Methodist  sermon  at  that  day,  and 
nothing  could  have  been  more  appropriate  than  a  Holy 
Ghost  sermon,  in  opening  a  campaign  in  North  Carolina, 
for  the  salvation  of  men.  "God  made  his  word  like  a 
hammer  that  breaketh  the  rock  in  pieces.    The  poor  people 


JOSEPH    PILMOOR. 


Introduction  of  Methodism.  35 

expressed  the  utmost  gratitude,"  says  Pilmoor,  "and 
Colonel  Williams  invited  me  to  dine.  As  it  was  in  my 
way,  I  gladly  accepted  the  offer,  and  found  one  of  the 
prettiest  places  I  have  seen  in  North  Carolina.  I  was  en- 
tertained with  true  primitive  hospitality."  In  the  morning 
he  went  about  five  miles  to  a  small  chapel,  where  he  had  a 
very  good  time  in  preaching  and  prayer.  This  chapel  was 
no  doubt  at  Coinjock,  and  belonged  to  the  Established 
Church,  and  according  to  Dr.  Coke  was  a  "pretty  chapel." 
It  will  be  observed  that  Pilmoor  found  several  chapels  in 
this  section,  and  while  they  belonged  to  the  Established 
Church,  they  were  generally  used  by  the  preachers  of  the 
Methodist  Society  until  about  the  time  of  the  organization 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Dr.  Coke  says  of  the 
Coinjock  Chapel,  "We  do  regular  duty  in  it." 

The  Colonel  Williams  who  had  the  honor  of  being  the 
first  North  Carolinian  to  entertain  a  Methodist  preacher 
was  a  prominent  man  in  Currituck  county.  He  was  Hal- 
lowell  Williams,  who  was  a  member  of  Congress  held  at 
Halifax  in  1776,  and  was  colonel  of  the  field  officers  of 
Currituck.  Dr.  Coke  speaks  of  him  in  very  complimentary 
terms  when  he  visited  him  in  1785.  He  was  a  good  Chris- 
tian at  that  time  and  a  very  active  Methodist.1  He  had 
great  admiration  for  Pilmoor  from  the  start,  and  not  only 
invited  him  to  his  home,  but  accompanied  him  on  his  first 
preaching  tour  in  North  Carolina. 

Colonel  Williams  and  Pilmoor  traveled  about  twenty 
miles,  to  the  Narrows  Chapel,  on  the  29th  of  September, 

'See  Wheeler's  History,  page  134;  Arminian  Magazine,  Vol.  I., 
1789,  page  340. 


36  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

1772.     The  road  lay  through  the  woods,  and  was  rough 
and  perilous.    At  the  chapel  they  had  a  very  solemn  time. 
Pilmoor   asserts   that   "the  poor,   ignorant   people   were 
greatly  affected.    One  poor  old  man  came  to  me  with  tears 
in  his  eyes,  thanking  me  for  what  he  had  heard,  and 
begged  me  to  accept  of  some  money  to  help  me  along.    I 
told  him  I  was  not  in  want,  and  begged  him  to  excuse  me, 
but  nothing  would  satisfy  him  without  I  would  take  it  as 
a  token  of  his  Christian  regard  and  love  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ.    We  then  mounted,  and  hastening  on  our  way,  in 
the  evening  came  safe  to  Colonel  Williams's."    This  was 
not  only  a  day  of  long  travel,  but  also  of  enforced  absti- 
nence.    Of  it  Pilmoor  wrote:  "As  I  had  traveled  above 
fifty  miles  without  any  other  refreshment  than  a  bit  of 
bread  and  a  little  water,  and  exerted  myself  pretty  much 
in  preaching,  I  was  sufficiently  tired.    But  it  is  for  Jesus." 
The  next  day,  September  30th,  he  left  Williams's  home 
and  rode  to  a  new  church  on  the  border  of  Virginia,  where 
he  preached  "to  a  large  congregation  of  weeping  sinners." 
The  following  day  was  the  Sabbath,  and  after  family 
prayer,  Pilmoor,  in  very  rough  weather,  crossed  the  bay  in 
a  canoe,  and  then  walked  over  the  fields  to  the  meeting- 
house, where  he   "had  a  congregation  of  Baptists  and 
others,  who  were  all  attention."    From  that  meetinghouse 
he  rode  about  eight  miles  further,  and  showed  to  "a  fine 
congregation  the  way  of  salvation,  and  spent  the  evening 
in  conversation  with  Christian  friends."    The  ensuing  day 
he  started  early  for  Kemp's  Landing,  about  twenty  miles 
distant,  where  he  arrived  in  time  to  preach  at  noon.    The 
meeting  was  at  the  public  house.    There  was  to  be  a  horse 


Introduction  of  Methodism.  37 

race  in  the  afternoon,  and  before  Pilmoor  left  the  tavern  he 
spoke  of  "the  absurdity  of  such  sport,"  and  showed  "how 
ridiculous  it  is  for  gentlemen  of  sense  to  ride  many  miles 
to  see  two  or  three  horses  run  about  a  field  with  negroes  on 
their  backs."  When  he  called  for  his  bill,  the  host  politely 
declined  to  receive  pay.  In  the  evening  Pilmoor  was  again 
in  Norfolk. 

In  the  closing  days  of  1772  we  find  him  in  Newbern; 
and  in  speaking  of  Newbern,  he  says :  "In  all  my  travels 
through  the  world,  I  have  met  with  none  like  the  people  of 
Newbern."  After  the  evening  service  on  Christmas,  he 
records :  "Mr.  William  Wood  took  me  home  with  him,  and 
I  had  everything  that  my  heart  could  desire."  "On  Thurs- 
day, December  31,  1772,  about  three  o'clock  I  set  onward 
with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  and  Captain  Richards,  and  has- 
tening on  pretty  fast,  at  seven  we  arrived  at  Mrs.  Wil- 
liams's, where  it  was  appointed  for  me  to  preach."  He 
speaks  of  dining  on  December  26,  1772,  with  a  Mr.  Ed- 
wards1 who  was  secretary  to  the  governor. 

"Friday,  January  1st,  1773.  I  rose  pretty  early  and  de- 
voted the  first  fruit  of  the  day  and  the  beginning  of  the 
year  unto  God.  The  family  gladly  joined  with  me  in  the 
high  praises  of  the  Lord  the  King,  and  we  had  a  special 
blessing  in  waiting  upon  him.  I  then  took  leave  of  my 
dear  Newbern  friends  and  the  family,  and  went  forward 
about  seventeen  miles  to  Foxe's  tavern,  where  I  stopped  to 
bait.  As  there  were  many  people  walking  about,  I  spoke 
to  several  of  them  about  the  salvation  of  their  souls  and 

'Captain  Isaac  Edwards  was  Secretary  of  the  Colony  under  both 
Governor  Tryon  and  Governor  Martin. 


38  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

proposed  to  join  in  singing  a  psalm  and  prayer,  to  which 
they  readily  consented ;  and  I  was  greatly  blessed  in  calling 
upon  God  for  them,  and  left  them  in  hope  that  some  of 
them  will  remember  this  opportunity  with  thankfulness  to 
God  for  his  wondrous  goodness.  I  then  set  out  again,  and 
about  seven  o'clock  found  a  place  of  rest.  As  I  have  no 
guide,  and  am  totally  unacquainted  with  the  road,  it  is 
rather  disagreeable  traveling  in  the  woods  in  the  night; 
but  my  trust  is  in  God,  and  he  keeps  me  from  harm.  After 
some  refreshment,  was  thankful  for  an  opportunity  of 
joining  in  the  worship  of  God. 

"The  next  day  it  rained  heavily  most  of  the  day,  and  it 
was  long  after  night  before  I  could  find  a  place  to  lodge. 
At  last  I  came  to  Mr.  Collier's,  some  fifteen  miles  from 
Wilmington,  where  I  slept  in  peace.  Sunday,  3d.  As  I 
longed  much  for  an  opportunity  of  preaching,  I  set  off  for 
Wilmington,  but  was  greatly  distressed  on  the  road.  The 
excessive  rains  that  fell  the  day  before  had  raised  the 
waters  and  washed  away  a  bridge ;  so  I  was  at  a  loss  what 
to  do;  but  I  resolved  to  take  the  horse  from  the  chaise, 
put  some  planks  for  the  wheels  and  draw  it  over  myself, 
which  I  did,  and  then  got  the  horse  over  without  any  hurt, 
and  proceeded  on  my  journey  to  the  town. 

"When  I  was  at  dinner  I  was  greatly  surprised  at  the 
sight  of  a  young  man  who  had  been  in  Society  with  us  in 
Philadelphia ;  and  he,  together  with  a  sea  captain  who  had 
seen  me  in  the  north,  were  very  ready  to  publish  preaching 
for  me ;  and  in  the  evening  I  had  a  large  congregation  of 
attentive  hearers,  and  God  gave  me  great  freedom  of  mind 
to  declare,  'Yet  surely  I  know  that  it  shall  be  well  with 


Introduction  of  Methodism.  39 

them  that  fear  God.'  I  believe  many  of  them  felt  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  and  it  may  hereafter  bring  forth  fruit 
unto  holiness,  that  their  end  may  be  everlasting  life. 

"Monday  evening  I  had  the  courthouse  well  filled  again 
and  had  liberty  in  my  own  mind  while  I  preached  Christ 
the  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King.  After  preaching  I  was  a 
good  deal  straitened  and  exercised  in  my  mind;  nothing 
on  earth  affords  me  any  satisfaction  if  my  Lord  withdraws 
himself  from  me.  When  he  is  present,  'tis  heaven  with  my 
soul ;  if  he  withdraws,  'tis  hell. 

"Tuesday.  I  found  my  mind  more  happy.  I  spent  the 
morning  in  writing  letters  to  my  numerous  correspond- 
ents; dined  with  Mr.  Morgatroyed,  a  merchant  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  in  the  evening  had  another  large  congrega- 
tion, and  was  enabled  to  preach  the  whole  counsel  of  God, 
and  deliver  my  own  soul. 

"Wednesday.  I  had  a  young  gentleman  to  invite  me  to 
the  country,  but  I  was  fixed  to  go  forward  to  the  south, 
and  therefore  could  not  comply  with  his  request.  The  peo- 
ple at  the  inn  where  I  stayed  were  remarkably  civil ;  they 
would  not  suffer  me  to  pay  for  anything,  but  entreated  me 
to  stay  longer  with  them.  As  there  are  many  people  in  the 
place,  I  should  be  glad  to  stay,  only  I  was  under  necessity 
of  hastening  toward  Charleston.  After  dinner  I  set  off 
and  intended  to  reach  Brunswick,  but  the  roads  were  so 
bad  I  was  compelled  to  stop  by  the  way. 

"In  the  morning  I  hastened  on  to  the  town  in  hopes  of 
preaching  that  day,  but  could  not  get  the  people  together 
until  Friday,  when  we  had  a  fine  congregation  in  the 


4°  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

church1  where  I  found  liberty  and  power  to  preach  the 
gospel. 

"Saturday.  I  dined  with  William  Hill,  Esq.,  to  whom 
I  had  letters  of  recommendation.  He  is  a  gentleman  of 
good  understanding,  and  a  friend  of  serious  religion,  so 
that  I  spent  the  time  very  comfortably." 

Mr.  Pilmoor  was  converted  in  his  sixteenth  year  under 
the  ministry  of  Mr.  Wesley  and  educated  at  Kingswood 
School.  He  joined  the  itinerancy  in  1765,  and  came  to 
America  in  1769,  and  did  faithful  work  until  January, 
x774>  when  he  saw  the  war  cloud  gathering.  "After  com- 
mending the  Americans  to  God,"  he  sailed  for  his  native 
land.  He  continued  to  travel  until  1784,  when  he  re- 
tired from  the  connection.  Soon  afterwards  he  returned 
to  America  and  took  orders  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  and  became  pastor  of  a  church  in  New  York. 
Later  he  became  rector  of  St.  Paul's  in  Philadelphia.  He 
was  a  fluent  speaker  and  a  man  of  considerable  ability. 
He  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  from  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.  He  was  always  glad  to 
admit  the  Methodist  preachers  to  his  pulpit,  and  went 
down  to  the  grave  with  a  warm  love  for  Methodism. 

The  next  Methodist  preacher  to  follow  Joseph  Pilmoor 
into  North  Carolina  was  Robert  Williams.  In  the  begin- 
ning of  1773  he  went  to  Petersburg  in  Virginia  and  began 
to  preach  in  the  town,  and  then  in  various  parts  of  the 
country.2     No  Methodist  preacher  had  preceded  him  in 

lrThe  Established  Church,  which  later  became  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church. 

2Lee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  42. 


Introduction  of  Methodism.  41 

this  portion  of  the  state,  though  the  spirit  of  revival  fire 
had  gone  before  him.  (Re^DvJ^n^t)  of  the  Church  of 
England,  had  been  in  this  section  since  1763,  and  in  zeal 
and  religious  fervor  he  was  very  much  like  the  Methodists. 
A  revival  under  his  preaching  began  in  1770,  and  in  1772 
it  had  extended  for  fifty  or  sixty  miles  away.1  When  Mr. 
Jarratt  began  his  work  here  in  1763  profaneness  and  irre- 
ligion  prevailed  among  all  ranks  and  degrees.2  He  cried 
aloud  against  the  sins  of  the  day,  and  preached  the  gospel 
in  its  simplicity  and  power.  His  conception  of  the  gospel 
message  and  his  manner  of  delivering  it  were  new  to  the 
people  of  that  section ;  for  what  he  preached  was  not  be- 
lieved even  by  the  clergymen  in  his  own  Church.3  The 
people  raised  an  outcry  against  his  way  of  preaching  as 
well  as  against  his  doctrines.  But  without  abandoning  the 
field  he  continued  until  he  saw  the  fruits  of  his  labors  in 
1 770- 1 772,  when  one  of  the  greatest  revivals  of  religion 
ever  known  in  this  country  swept  over  all  that  section. 
Mr.  Jarratt  began  like  Mr.  "Wesley  to  form  his  people  into 
a  Society.  "The  good  effects  of  this  were  soon  apparent ; 
convictions  were  deep  and  lasting;  and  not  only  knowl- 
edge, but  faith  and  love  and  holiness  continued."4  His 
sermons  were  evangelical,  a  volume  of  which  was  pub- 
lished by  William  Glendenning  in  Raleigh  in  1805. 

When  Robert  Williams  began  his  work  in  Petersburg, 
he  spent  one  week  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Jarratt.5    It  was 

'Lee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  43. 

2Asbury's  Journal,  Vol.  I.,  page  209. 

'Ibid.,  page  209. 

4Lee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  43. 

"Life  of  Jarratt,  pages  107-110. 


42  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

no  doubt  an  inspiration  to  Mr.  Williams  to  spend  this  time 
with  a  man  so  full  of  faith,  courage,  zeal,  and  holiness. 
No  one  can  tell  what  influence  the  encouragement  he  re- 
ceived here  has  had  upon  Methodism  in  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina.  His  name  will  ever  be  held  in  sweet  re- 
membrance as  being  a  warm  friend  of  the  early  itinerants 
of  Methodism. 

When  Robert  Williams  reached  his  work  in  1773,  he 
found  the  revival  fires  already  kindled.  He  used  every 
opportunity  to  preach  the  gospel  and  push  forward  his 
work.  He  would  go  to  hear  the  clergy  of  the  Established 
Church,  and  after  the  congregation  was  dismissed  he 
would  go  out  of  the  church  and  standing  on  a  stump  or 
log  would  begin  to  sing,  pray,  and  then  preach  to  hun- 
dreds. It  was  also  common  for  him  after  preaching  to 
speak  to  as  many  as  possible  personally  and  question  them 
about  the  salvation  of  their  souls.1  With  such  zeal  as  this, 
during  that  year  he  traveled  and  preached  over  a  great 
deal  of  that  section  of  the  country  down  as  far  as  the 
north  part  of  North  Carolina.2  It  is  claimed  by  some  that 
he  organized  the  first  society  in  North  Carolina  during 
this  year,  1773.  While  this  is  stated  as  a  fact  by  some  his- 
torians, it  is  only  a  presumption;  and  though  it  is  quite 
probable,  yet  there  is  no  proof  that  he  organized  before 
1774.  Jesse  Lee  says:  "In  the  beginning  of  this  year, 
1774,  Robert  Williams  began  to  form  societies  in  Virginia, 
and  made  out  a  plan  for  a  six  weeks'  circuit  which  ex- 

'Lee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  43. 
^Ibid.,  page  43. 


Introduction  of  Methodism.  43 

tended  from  Petersburg  to  the  south  over  Roanoke  River 
some  distance  into  North  Carolina."1 

In  the  midst  of  these  stirring  times,  Rev.  Thomas 
Rankin  made  a  visit  to  this  section,  and  accompanied  Mr. 
Jarratt  in  a  tour  through  the  southern  part  of  Virginia  and 
into  North  Carolina.  Here  is  Mr.  Rankin's  account  of  his 
visit  to  North  Carolina : 

"Monday,  July  15th,  1775.  I  rode  toward  North  Caro- 
lina. In  every  place  the  congregations  were  large,  and 
received  the  word  with  all  readiness  of  mind.  I  know  not 
that  I  have  spent  such  a  week  since  I  came  to  America. 
I  saw  everywhere  such  a  simplicity  in  the  people,  with  such 
a  vehement  thirst  after  the  word  of  God,  that  I  frequently 
preached  and  continued  in  prayer  till  I  was  hardly  able  to 
stand.  Indeed,  there  was  no  getting  away  from  them 
while  I  was  able  to  speak  one  sentence  for  God. 

"Sunday,  21st.  I  preached  at  Roanoke  Chapel  to  more 
than  double  of  what  the  house  would  contain.  In  general, 
the  white  people  were  within  the  chapel,  and  the  black 
people  without.  The  windows  being  all  open,  every  one 
could  hear,  and  hundreds  felt  the  word  of  God.  Many 
were  bathed  in  tears,  and  others  rejoicing  with  joy  un- 
speakable. When  the  society  met,  many  could  not  refrain 
from  praising  God  aloud.  I  preached  to  a  large  company 
in  the  afternoon,  and  concluded  the  day  with  prayer  and 
thanksgiving. 

"Tuesday,  23d.  I  crossed  the  Roanoke  River,  and 
preached  at  a  chapel  in  North  Carolina,  and  I  preached 

'Lee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  51. 


44  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

every  day  to  very  large  and  deeply  attentive  congrega- 
tions ;  although  not  without  much  labor  and  pain,  through 
the  extreme  heat  of  the  weather. 

"On  Tuesday,  30,  was  our  quarterly  meeting.  I  scarce 
ever  remember  such  a  season.  No  chapel  or  preaching 
place  in  Virginia  would  have  contained  one-third  of  the 
congregation.  Our  friends,  knowing  this,  had  contrived 
to  shade  with  boughs  of  trees  a  space  that  would  contain 
two  or  three  thousand  people.  Under  this,  wholly  screened 
from  the  rays  of  the  sun,  we  held  our  general  love  feast. 
It  began  between  eight  and  nine  on  Wednesday  morning, 
and  continued  till  noon.  Many  testified  that  they  had  re- 
demption in  the  blood  of  Jesus,  even  the  forgiveness 
of  sins.  And  many  were  enabled  to  declare  that  it  had 
cleansed  them  from  all  sin.  So  clear,  so  full,  so  strong 
was  their  testimony,  that  while  some  were  speaking  their 
experience  hundreds  were  in  tears,  and  others  vehemently 
cryingJ&JjQd iorjardon  or  holiness." 

45e^£rj£ux  Tarratt^)  in  writing  of  the  revival  in  1775, 
says:  "This  revival^ of  religion  spread  through  fourteen 
counties  in  Virginia  and  through  Bute  and  Halifax  coun- 
ties in  North  Carolina.  At  the  same  time  we  had  a  blessed 
outpouring  of  the  Spirit  in  several  counties  bordering  upon 
Maryland." 

The  new  circuit  planned  by  Williams  was  called  Bruns- 
wick, and  had  for  its  preachers  in  1775  John  King,  John 
Wade,  and  Isaac  Rollins.  The  labors  of  these  faithful 
men  of  God  were  greatly  blessed  on  this  circuit,  and 
toward  the  close  of  the  year  1775  a  most  remarkable 
revival  of  religion  was  the  result.     Mr.  Jarratt  says: 


Introduction  of  Methodism.  45 

"We  had  a  time  of  refreshing  indeed;  a  revival  of  reli- 
gion as  great  as  perhaps  ever  was  known."  There  were 
about  six  hundred  members  added  to  the  Society  on  the 
circuit  in  the  course  of  that  year.1  In  1775,  Robert 
Williams  does  not  appear  on  the  list  of  appointments. 
He  married,  and  hence  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  lo- 
cate. He  settled  between  Suffolk  and  Norfolk,  where 
he  died  on  September  26,  1775.  He  did  a  great  work 
for  Methodism  during  the  short  time  that  he  labored 
in  southern  Virginia  and  in  the  northern  part  of  North 
Carolina.  It  was  Robert  Williams  who  was  instru- 
mental, in  the  hands  of  God,  in  bringing  into  the 
connection  Rev.  Jesse  Lee;  and  if  he  had  done  nothing 
more,  that  was  enough  to  start  a  wave  of  influence  that 
will  widen  until  the  judgment  of  the  great  day.  Mr.  Lee, 
in  speaking  of  him,  says :  "He  was  a  plain,  artless,  inde- 
fatigable preacher  of  the  gospel,  and  often  proved  the 
goodness  of  his  doctrine,  by  his  tears  in  public  and  by  his 
life  and  conduct  in  private.  His  manner  of  preaching  was 
well  calculated  to  awaken  careless  sinners  and  to  encourage 
penitent  mourners.  He  spared  no  pains  in  order  to  do 
good." 

Robert  Williams  was  not  a  brilliant  man,  but  he  has 
done  a  work  that  will  grow  as  the  years  go  by.  North 
Carolina  joins  Virginia  in  holding  his  memory  sacred,  as 
being  one  of  the  first  to  plant  Methodism  in  our  soil.  Rev. 
W.  W.  Bennett,  D.D.,  refers  to  him  thus :  "We  look  with 
peculiar  feelings  on  him  who  stands  first  in  a  great  cause. 


'Lee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  53. 


46  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Robert  Williams  preached  the  first  Methodist  sermon  on 
Virginia  soil,  he  joined  the  first  society,1  he  printed  the 
first  Methodist  book,  he  aided  in  building  the  first  church, 
he  made  out  the  plan  for  the  first  circuit,  he  was  the  first 
to  marry,  the  first  to  locate,  the  first  to  die,  the  first  of  that 
band  of  heroes  that  passed  into  the  City  of  our  God,  and 
took  his  place  amid  the  white-robed  elders  around  the 
Throne." 

'This  is  questionable,  as  we  have  seen. 


)\ 


;,\ 


CHAPTER  III. 

EARLY  CIRCUITS  AND  PIONEERS. 

Methodism  Enters  with  a  Revival — Jarratt's  Account  of  it — Jesse 
Lee's  Account  of  it.  Carolina  Circuit  Formed — Preachers  Ex- 
perience Difficulties.  Declaration  of  Independence.  Edward 
Dromgoole — Description  by  B.  Devany — Preaches  on  the  Power 
of  God — Great  Effect.  Francis  Poythress — Sketch  of  his  Life — 
Appointed  Presiding  Elder — Labors  in  Kentucky — Letter  from 
Rev.  Thomas  Scott.  Isham  Tatum — Peter  Doub  Meets  Him — 
Great  Orator.  Circuit  Appears  as  North  Carolina  in  1777.  Meth- 
odism Crosses  the  Blue  Ridge.  Sketch  of  John  King — Wesley's 
Letter.  John  Dickins — Death  from  Yellow  Fever.  Lee  Roy  Cole. 
Edward  Pride.     William  Glendenning.    Roanoke  Circuit. 

We  have  just  seen  that  Methodism  entered  the  state  in  a 
great  revival  which  spread  from  the  Brunswick  Circuit. 
No  such  revival  had  ever  been  known  in  this  country  be- 
fore.   Mr.  Jarratt,  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Wesley  giving  a  full 
account  of  it,  among  other  things  says :  "The  multitudes 
that  attended  on  this  occasion,  returning  home  all  alive  to 
God,  spread  the  flame  through  their  respective  neighbor-  •£) 
hoods,  which  ran  from  family  to  family;  so  that,  within 
four  weeks,  several  hundreds  found  the  peace  of  God. 
And  scarce  any  conversation  was  to  be  heard  throughout      1 . 
the  circuit,  but  concerning  the  things  of  God."     This   " 
flame  of  revival  crossed  over  into  North  Carolina  as  we 
have  seen,  and  entered  Halifax  county,   from  which  it 
spread  over  all  that  part  of  the  state.1     Jesse  Lee  gives  a 
very  graphic  account  of  this  revival,  but  in  conclusion  he 

'Lee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  59. 

(47) 


48  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

says :  "My  pen  cannot  describe  the  one-half  of  what  I  saw, 
heard,  and  felt.  I  might  fill  a  volume  on  this  subject,  and 
then  leave  the  greater  part  untold." 

As  a  result  of  this  revival,  and  perhaps  of  other  efforts 
that  had  been  made  in  North  Carolina,  there  were  six 
hundred  and  eighty-three  members  reported  at  the  fourth 
Conference  which  was  held  in  Baltimore,  May  21st,  1776. 
At  this  Conference  there  were  four  new  circuits  added, 
which  were  Fairfax,  Hanover,  Pittsylvania,  and  Carolina. 
The  latter  lay  in  North  Carolina,  and  had  for  its  preachers 
Edward  Dromgoole,  Francis  Poythress,  and  Isham  Ta- 
tum.  It  would  be  hard  to  locate  the  boundaries  of  this 
new  circuit,  as  there  was  no  circuit  on  the  south  or  west, 
unless  the  Pittsylvania  extended  into  North  Carolina  in 
the  west.  Hence  their  field  of  labor  was  practically  un- 
limited, having  no  boundary  lines.  But  how  much  of  this 
territory  was  covered  by  the  labors  of  these  pioneers  we 
have  been  unable  to  learn.  It  is  certain  they  penetrated 
a  great  portion  of  the  state,  and  laid  the  foundation  of 
Methodism  upon  which  their  successors  have  been  success- 
fully building  ever  since. 

But  these  men  had  many  difficulties  to  meet.  No  one 
of  their  kind  had  gone  before  them.  They  had  to  explore 
the  wilderness  and  cultivate  a  virgin  soil.  The  people 
looked  upon  them  with  suspicion.  And  to  add  to  their 
discouragement,  soon  after  they  reached  the  circuit  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  was  made  and  the  war  cloud 
was  gathering  over  the  land.  The  men  of  Mecklenburg 
and  those  of  other  sections  of  the  colony  were  talking  in- 
dependence, and  liberty  was  in  the  air.    England  was  pre- 


Early  Circuits  and  Pioneers.  49 

paring  to  begin  operations  with  a  fixed  purpose  to  conquer 
these  rebellious  colonies  of  the  New  World.  The  people 
of  the  colonies  were  everywhere  talking  war,  mustering, 
and  getting  ready  to  meet  England  in  the  conflict  to  fight 
to  the  death  for  their  liberty.  Under  these  circumstances, 
these  men  of  God  began  their  work  with  Bible  and  hymn 
book  in  hand.  But  with  all  these  drawbacks  they  had 
what  might  be  considered  great  success,  for  they  reported 
at  the  next  Conference  nine  hundred  and  thirty  members, 
which  is  a  net  gain  of  two  hundred  and  forty-seven.  They 
were  strong  men,  had  a  large  field,  and  did  a  great  work. 

As  this  was  the  first  circuit  in  North  Carolina,  and 
Edward  Dromgoole,  Francis  Poythress,  and  Isham  Ta- 
tum  were  its  first  preachers,  they  require  more  than  a  pass- 
ing notice  in  these  pages,  and  more  than  will  be  given  to 
men  of  the  same  abilitv  and  usefulness  under  other  cir- 
cumstances. 

Edward  Dromgoole,  whose  name  heads  the  list  on  this 
circuit,  was  born  in  Sligo,  Ireland,  about  the  year  1751. 
He  was  brought  up  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  when  he  was 
approaching  manhood  heard  the  Methodists  in  his  native 
country,  was  convicted  of  sin,  joined  the  Society,  and  soon 
afterwards  read  his  recantation  publicly  in  the  Catholic 
church,  which  caused  much  displeasure  among  some  of  his 
relatives.  In  1770  he  sailed  for  America,  and  settled  in 
Maryland,  near  Baltimore,  where  he  had  the  privilege  of 
hearing  Mr.  Strawbridge  preach  during  the  year,  which 
helped  to  decide  his  course  for  the  future.  Mr.  Drom- 
goole began  preaching  in  1774,  and  in  the  same  year  was 
appointed  to  Baltimore.  "As  soon  as  the  Revolutionary 
4 


50  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

War  broke  out,  he  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  his 
adopted  country,  and  carefully  preserved  the  certificate 
thereof  as  a  testimonial  of  his  fidelity  to  the  American 
cause."  He  retired  from  the  traveling  work  in  1786. 
Perhaps  this  was  due  to  the  fact  that  he  was  a  married 
man.  Mr.  Asbury  says :  "Edward  Dromgoole  is  a  good 
preacher,  but  entangled  with  a  family.  We  spoke  of  a 
plan  for  building  houses  in  every  circuit  for  preachers' 
wives,  and  the  Society  to  supply  their  families  with  bread 
and  meat,  as  the  preachers  should  travel  from  place  to 
place  as  when  single ;  for  unless  something  of  the  kind  be 
done,  we  shall  have  no  preachers  but  young  ones  in  a  few 
years.  They  will  marry  and  stop."  Asbury  had  great 
confidence  in  Mr.  Dromgoole,  and  often  leaned  upon  him 
during  the  stormy  days  of  early  Methodism.  His  labors 
"in  that  critical  time,  in  behalf  of  peace  and  union,  were 
earnest,  and  no  doubt  effective."  He  was,  on  account  of 
his  age  and  experience,  a  very  conspicuous  character  in  the 
Christmas  Conference  in  1784.  His  name  appears  for  the 
last  time  in  the  minutes  of  1785.  Locating  in  Brunswick 
county,  Virginia,  he  lived  a  useful  life  as  a  local  preacher, 
and  preserved  an  unblemished  character  to  the  end. 

Dromgoole  was  no  ordinary  man.  He  "possessed  a 
high  order  of  intellect;  he  was  plain  in  his  dress,  gentle 
and  unassuming  in  his  deportment ;  of  deep  piety,  and  of 
great  moral  worth.  He  was,  for  piety,  zeal,  and  usefulness, 
the  embodiment  of  a  primitive  Methodist  preacher."  He 
had  originality  of  mind,  and  was  not  accustomed  to  repeat 
his  sermons.  His  preaching  was  pertinent,  eloquent,  and 
effective. 


Early  Circuits  and  Pioneers.  $1 

Thirty  years  after  he  traveled  the  Carolina  Circuit,  he 
returned  and  attended  a  camp  meeting  at  one  of  his  old 
preaching  places.  And  we  are  fortunate  in  having  a  de- 
scription of  the  scene  on  that  occasion  by  Rev.  B.  Devany, 
who  was  present.  He  says :  "When  Mr.  Dromgoole  en- 
tered the  stand  to  preach,  he  deliberately  put  off  his  coat 
and,  I  think,  his  neckcloth,  which  was  nothing  unusual 
with  the  old  preachers  of  that  day.  He  commenced  by 
saying,  'That  the  attention  of  the  people  may  not  be  drawn 
off  by  inquiring  who  the  preacher  is,  I  will  tell  you.  You 
recollect  about  thirty  years  ago  there  was  a  young  man 
who  traveled  here  by  the  name  of  Edward  Dromgoole ;  I 
am  that  man.'  His  text  was,  'God  hath  spoken  once; 
twice  have  I  heard  this,  that  power  belongeth  unto  God.' 
The  power  of  God  was  the  burden  of  his  theme,  and  when, 
by  the  force  of  his  Irish  eloquence,  he  carried  us  in  imagi- 
nation to  the  place  'where  the  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire 
is  not  quenched,'  it  was  awfully  sublime,  it  was  beyond  de- 
scription. His  voice,  his  countenance,  and  his  gestures  all 
gave  a  power  to  his  eloquence  which  is  rarely  equaled  at 
this  day.  The  copious  flow  of  tears,  and  the  awful  peals 
of  his  voice,  showed  that  the  preacher's  whole  soul  was 
thrown  into  the  subject,  and  it  produced  the  most  thrilling 
effect  that  I  had  ever  witnessed.  There  was  not  a  dry  eye 
among  the  hundreds  who  listened  to  him  on  that  occasion. 
In  my  long  experience  and  close  observation,  I  have  never 
known  a  local  preacher  who  maintained  so  noble  a  stand, 
and  wielded  so  wide  a  moral  influence,  as  he  did.  With 
Wesley,  Asbury,  and  all  his  other  compeers  in  the  min- 
istry, he  is  reaping  his  glorious  reward."    Pie  lived  to  see 


52  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Methodism  number  its  hundreds  of  thousands.  He  passed 
over  the  river  into  rest  in  1835,  in  the  eighty- fourth  year 
of  his  age. 

Francis  Poythress  was  appointed  second  man  on  the 
Carolina  Circuit  in  1776.  He  was  a  native  of  Virginia; 
inherited  a  large  estate  from  his  father,  and  when  a  young 
man  was  very  much  dissipated.  A  reproof  from  a  good 
woman  made  a  wonderful  impression  upon  him,  and  he  at 
once  began  to  seek  the  salvation  of  his  soul.  Under  the 
preaching  of  Rev.  Devereux  Jarratt  he  was  brought  to  a 
practical  knowledge  of  the  saving  power  of  the  gospel. 
Having  determined  to  devote  himself  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  he  was  admitted  on  trial  in  the  traveling  connec- 
tion in  1776,  and  began  his  career  as  an  itinerant  preacher 
on  the  Carolina  Circuit. 

"Our  pioneer  work  called  out  no  one  probably  more  re- 
markable than  Francis  Poythress.  From  the  many  prom- 
inent appointments  he  filled,  he  must  have  occupied  a  high 
position  in  the  esteem  and  affections  of  the  pioneer 
Church."1  He  traveled  on  circuits  in  North  Carolina,  Vir- 
ginia, and  Maryland  until  1786,  when  he  was  appointed 
a  presiding  elder.  He  traveled  on  large  districts  until 
1797,  when  it  became  necessary,  "from  excessive  labors, 
occasioned  by  the  most  fatiguing  travel  and  hardships," 
for  him  to  take  a  supernumerary  relation.  As  a  presiding 
elder  he  was  preeminently  successful.  He  presided  over 
the  Annual  Conference,  in  the  absence  of  the  bishop,  for 
a  number  of  years  while  he  was  in  Kentucky.     He  was 

1W.  C.  Doub  in  "Centennial  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina," 
page  61. 


Early  Circuits  and  Pioneers.  53 

held  in  very  high  esteem  by  Bishop  Asbury,  and  was  nomi- 
nated by  him  at  one  time  for  bishop.  One  has  said, 
"Poythress  is  to  the  Southwest  what  Jesse  Lee  was  to  New 
England, — an  apostle." 

In  1800  he  returned  to  North  Carolina  and  was  ap- 
pointed to  a  district,  reaching  from  Swannanoa  on  the 
west  to  Mattamuskeet  on  the  east,  embracing  fifteen  cir- 
cuits. This  proved  too  much  for  his  already  enfeebled 
constitution.  "Here  he  suffered  greatly  from  depression 
of  spirits,  occasioned  by  a  total  prostration  of  the  nervous 
system ;  but  he  kept  on  laboring  until  his  mind  and  body 
were  reduced  well-nigh  to  a  common  wreck."  He  re- 
turned to  Kentucky,  and  tried  to  serve  for  another  year, 
but  the  fire  of  genius  and  intelligence  that  once  shot  from 
his  eye  was  gone.  He  soon  treated  his  best  friends  as 
strangers.  Thus  he  lingered  on  the  shores  of  time  under 
this  dark  cloud,  until  about  18 18,  near  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky, his  spirit  took  its  flight  to  its  everlasting  home. 
Poythress  was  a  hero,  who  pressed  the  battle  on  many  a 
well-fought  field.  Bravely  did  he  endure  the  toils  and 
hardships  as  a  good  soldier  of  the  cross.  In  a  campaign  of 
twenty-four  years,  in  the  wilds  of  a  new  and  unsettled 
country,  he  never  faltered. 

Rev.  Thomas  Scott,  a  personal  friend  of  the  deceased, 
and  himself  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Methodism,  has 
furnished  an  account  of  some  personal  reminiscences  with 
the  melancholy  fate  of  this  zealous  and  indefatigable  itin- 
erant, which  we  find  in  Rev.  J.  B.  Finley's  "Sketches  of 
Western  Methodism,"  and  which  we  subjoin : 

"Brother  Poythress  was  grave  in  his  deportment,  and 


54  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

chaste  in  his  conversation,  constant  in  his  private  devo- 
tions, and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  ministerial 
duties.  We  have  no  recollection  of  his  having  ever  dis- 
appointed a  congregation  unless  prevented  by  sickness  or 
disease.  As  often  as  practicable  he  visited  from  house 
to  house,  instructed  and  prayed  in  the  family.  Among 
the  preachers  he,  like  most  other  men,  may  have  had  his 
particular  favorites,  but  all  were  treated  by  him  with  due 
benevolence  and  Christian  respect.  He  was  unwearied  in 
his  effort  to  unite  the  traveling  and  local  ministry  as  a 
band  of  brothers,  so  that  their  united  efforts  might  be 
exerted  in  furthering  the  cause  of  God.  As  the  weight 
of  all  the  churches  in  his  district  rested  upon  him,  he 
sensibly  felt  the  responsibility  of  his  station,  and  put  forth 
his  utmost  efforts  to  discharge,  with  fidelity,  these  im- 
portant trusts  which  had  been  confided  to  him.  The  edu- 
cation of  the  rising  generation  he  deemed  to  be  intimately 
connected  with  the  interest  of  the  Church,  and  the  result 
of  that  conviction  was  the  erection  of  Bethel  Academy. 

"The  conversational  powers  of  brother  Poythress  were 
not  of  a  high  order,  yet  when  he  did  engage  in  general 
conversation  he  maintained  his  part  with  propriety,  evin- 
cive of  an  extensive  knowledge  of  men  and  things.  His 
rank  as  a  preacher  was  not  much  above  mediocrity.  He 
was,  however,  sound  in  the  faith,  in  doctrine,  in  purity. 
There  are  many  words  in  common  use  which  he  could  not 
pronounce  correctly;  this  he  attributed  to  the  loss  of  his 
teeth. 

"He  was — if  we  rightly  remember — about  five  feet 
eight  or  nine  inches  in  height,  and  heavily  built.     His 


Early  Circuits  and  Pioneers.  55 

muscles  were  large,  and  when  in  the  prime  of  life,  we  pre- 
sume, he  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  muscular 
strength.  He  dressed  plainly  and  neatly.  His  general  ap- 
pearance was  such  as  to  command  the  respectful  consid- 
eration of  others.  He  possessed  high,  honorable  feelings, 
and  a  deep  sense  of  moral  obligations.  In  general  he  was 
an  excellent  disciplinarian.  He  endeavored  to  probe  to 
the  bottom  each  wound  in  the  Church,  in  order  that  a  rad- 
ical cure  might  be  effected;  but  would  never  consent  to 
expel  from  the  bosom  of  the  Church  those  who  evidenced 
contrition  and  amendment.  And  when  free  from  the 
morbid  action  of  his  system,  to  which  it  becomes  our  pain- 
ful duty  to  refer,  we  esteemed  him  to  be  a  man  of  sound 
discriminating  judgment.  'Symptoms  of  insanity  were,  at 
times,  discoverable  in  brother  Poythress  several  years  prior 
to  the  time  he  ceased  to  travel  and  to  preach,  and  such  may 
have  been  his  situation'  at  the  time  he  was  sometimes  crit- 
icised by  his  brethren.  We  think  the  veil  of  Christian 
charity  ought  to  be  drawn  over  actions  induced  by  a  mor- 
bid excitement  of  the  system,  materially  affecting  his  intel- 
lectual faculties. 

"The  last  time  we  saw  him  was  in  the  fore  part  of  the 
winter  of  1800.  The  balance  of  his  mind  was  lost,  and  his 
body  lay  a  complete  wreck.  His  labors  in  the  Church 
militant  were  at  an  end,  but  the  fruits  of  his  labors  still 
remain." 

The  third  name  on  the  Carolina  Circuit  in  1776  was 
that  of  Isham  Tatum.  At  this  period  it  was  the  custom 
to  send  several  preachers  to  one  charge ;  so  three  were  sent 
to  this  new  field.     This  was  Tatum's  first  charge.     He 


56  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

traveled  for  a  few  years  only,  and  then,  like  so  many 
others  at  that  day,  he  got  married,  and  that  necessitated  a 
location ;  though  he  traveled  long  enough  to  convince  the 
Church  that  he  had  zeal  and  ability  to  do  successful  work 
as  an  itinerant  preacher.  His  fields  of  labor  were  as  fol- 
lows: 1776,  Carolina;  1777,  Pittsylvania;  1778,  Fluva- 
nia;  1779,  Amelia;  1780,  Hanover.  In  1781,  he  "desisted 
from  traveling."  The  above  fields  were  most  of  them 
new  and  difficult.  He  sowed ;  others  reaped,  and  are  still 
reaping. 

Rev.  Peter  Doub,  D.D.,  was  on  the  Culpeper  Circuit 
in  Virginia  during  the  second  year  of  his  ministry,  which 
was  in  1819,  and  he  says  he  found  Isham  Tatum  living 
in  the  bounds  of  this  circuit,  of  whom  he  makes  the  follow- 
ing statement  in  his  Autobiography:  "Became  acquainted 
with  Rev.  Isham  Tatum,  who  commenced  the  work  of  the 
itinerancy  about  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War, 
or  a  little  before,  and  for  some  years  continued  to  travel. 
When  he  married  he  settled  himself  in  the  county  of  Mad- 
ison, Va.,  and  continued  a  local  preacher  for  many  years. 
He  had  been  a  minister  for  more  than  sixty  years  when 
he  died.  He  was  a  very  good,  sound  divine;  very  elo- 
quent, and  so  highly  esteemed  by  the  public  in  this  regard 
that  he  was  known  throughout  the  country  as  the  'Silver 
Trumpet.'  He  also  left  a  large  number  of  descendants, 
most  of  whom  are  members  of  the  Church  he  so  faithfully 
labored  to  establish.''1  He  also  has  some  descendants  in 
Orange  county,  North  Carolina.2 

Autobiography  of  Rev.  Peter  Doub,  D.D.,  Manuscript. 
2"Pioneers  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina  and  Virginia,"  Moore. 


A    PIONEER. 


Early  Circuits  and  Pioneers.  57 

We  are  not  able  to  give  the  exact  date  of  his  death,  but 
we  know  that  he  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  being  at  the 
time  of  his  death  the  oldest  Methodist  preacher  in  the 
United  States.1  He  thus  lived  to  witness  the  wonderful 
growth  and  development  of  his  Church  for  the  first  fifty 
years  of  its  existence  in  this  country.  Then  "without  a 
stain  upon  his  escutcheon,  he  laid  aside  his  armor  to  wear 
the  victor's  crown ;  he  entered  into  his  eternal  rest.  In  his 
pure,  devoted,  unselfish  life,  he  left  the  Church  a  legacy 
as  rich  as  the  toilsome  labor  he  underwent  and  the  suffer- 
ing he  endured.  What  a  glorious  meeting  with  his  old 
companions  in  tribulation!  Wliat  a  time  of  rejoicing 
over  the  fruits  of  the  suffering  awaited  him  within  the 
gates  of  the  City  of  God  !"2 

As  we  have  seen,  at  the  close  of  the  year  these  three 
preachers  reported  nine  hundred  and  thirty  members  in 
North  Carolina.  The  Conference  was  held  at  a  meeting- 
house near  Deer  Creek  in  Maryland.  The  circuit  in  1777 
appears  on  the  minutes  as  North  Carolina,  with  John 
King,  John  Dickins,  Lee  Roy  Cole,  and  Edward  Pride. 
This  was  evidently  one  of  the  most  promising  fields  in  the 
connection — great  in  possibilities  and  great  in  territorial 
extent.  Dr.  McAnally  thinks  that  these  preachers  during 
this  year  certainly  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  and  planted  the 
standards  of  Methodism  in  the  Holston  country.  This 
is  the  date  that  he  fixes,  as  he  claims  based  upon  good 
reasons,  as  the  time  when  Methodism  was  organized  in 

1  Bennett's  "Memorials  of  Methodism  in  Virginia,"  page  102. 
2"Pioneers    of    Methodism    in    North    Carolina    and    Virginia," 
Moore,  page   106. 


58  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

that  section.1  But  while  it  was  a  field  of  vast  possibilities, 
yet  it  must  have  required  much  faith  in  God  to  enter  it 
under  the  circumstances  and  make  a  success.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  the  war  cloud  was  still  hanging  over  the 
land.  At  the  Conference  the  25th  of  July  was  appointed 
as  a  general  fast  day.  The  preachers  certainly  felt  that  it 
was  a  critical  time  for  the  planting  of  the  new  Church. 
We  find  this  question  and  answer  recorded  in  the  minutes : 
"As  the  present  distress  is  such,  are  the  preachers  resolved 
to  take  no  step  to  detach  themselves  from  the  work  for  the 
ensuing  year  ?"  "We  propose,  by  the  grace  of  God,  not  to 
take  any  step  that  may  separate  us  from  the  brethren,  or 
from  the  blessed  work  in  which  we  are  engaged."  With 
such  a  purpose,  they  went  forward,  and  success  crowned 
their  efforts. 

John  King  was  born  in  England  in  the  year  1746.  He 
was  graduated  from  Oxford  and  from  a  medical  college 
in  London.  He  was  converted  under  the  preaching  of  John 
Wesley,  and  at  once  connected  himself  with  the  Society, 
which  was  bitterly  opposed  by  his  family.  "Finally  he 
was  disinherited,"  but  this  only  made  him  the  more  stead- 
fast. He  opened  his  heart  to  Mr.  Wesley,  and  soon  sailed 
for  Philadelphia,  obtained  license  to  preach,  went  to  Mary- 
land and  assisted  Strawbridge  in  his  work  there.  He 
preached  the  first  Methodist  sermon  in  the  city  of  Balti- 
more. At  the  first  Conference  in  America,  which  con- 
vened in  Philadelphia,  1773,  his  name  appears  upon  the 
minutes,  and  he  was  sent  that  year  to  New  Jersey;  in 

1  "History  of  Methodism  in  Tennessee,"  McFerrin,  Vol.  I.,  page 
328. 


Early  Circuits  and  Pioneers.  59 

1774,  to  Norfolk;  in  1775,  to  Trenton,  N.  J. ;  and  in  1776 
his  name  does  not  appear  on  the  minutes.  "About  this 
time  he  bought  a  home  in  Franklin  county,  North  Caroli- 
na, near  the  present  county  seat,  Louisburg,  where  he  lived 
until  1789  or  1790,  when  he  removed  to  Wake  county, 
about  ten  miles  west  of  Raleigh."1  And  in  1777  we  find 
him  assigned  to  the  North  Carolina  Circuit.  His  name 
does  not  appear  in  the  printed  minutes  after  this.  He  had 
married  and  located,  remaining  a  local  preacher  and  prac- 
ticing medicine.  Asbury  frequently  mentions  him  in  his 
Journal,  and  from  the  way  he  speaks  of  him  wo  infer  that 
he  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  Mr.  Asbury. 

In  Mr.  Wesley's  miscellaneous  works  we  find  this  letter 
written  to  John  King  which  we  reproduce:  "My  dear 
brother,  always  take  advice  or  reproof  as  a  favor;  it  is  the 
surest  mark  of  love.  I  advised  you  once,  and  you  took  it 
as  an  affront ;  nevertheless  I  will  do  it  once  more.  Scream 
no  more  at  the  peril  of  your  soul.  God  now  warns  you, 
by  me  whom  he  has  set  over  you.  Speak  as  earnestly  as 
you  can,  but  do  not  scream.  Speak  with  all  your  heart, 
but  with  a  moderate  voice.  It  was  said  of  our  Lord,  'He 
shall  not  cry.'  The  word  properly  means,  'He  shall  not 
scream.'  Herein  be  a  follower  of  me,  as  I  am  of  Christ. 
I  often  speak  aloud,  often  vehemently,  but  I  never  scream ; 
I  never  strain  myself, — I  dare  not.  I  know  it  would  be 
a  sin  against  God  and  my  own  soul.  Perhaps  one  reason 
why  that  good  man  Thomas  Walsh,  yea,  and  John  Man- 
ners too,  were  in  such  grievous  darkness  before  they  died 

"'Pioneers  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina  and  Virginia," 
Moore,  page  54 


60  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

was  because  they  shortened  their  own  lives.  O  John,  pray 
for  an  advisable  and  teachable  temper.  By  nature  you  are 
very  far  from  it ;  you  are  stubborn  and  headstrong.  Your 
last  letter  was  written  in  a  very  wrong  spirit.  If  you  can- 
not take  advice  from  others,  surely  you  can  take  it  from 
your  affectionate  brother,"  etc. 

We  quote  from  Rev.  M.  H.  Moore.  In  speaking  of 
King,  he  says :  "He  died  while  on  a  visit  to  Newbern  in 
1794,  and  was  buried  at  his  home  in  Wake  county.  His 
children — six  in  number — were  all  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church.  Two  of  his  sons,  John  and  William,  were 
Methodist  preachers.  A  son  of  William,  Rev.  Marcus 
King,  is  now  a  member  of  the  Kentucky  Conference."1 

John  Dickins  was  born  in  1746  in  the  city  of  London. 
He  was  well  educated — partly  at  Eton  College.  He  came 
to  this  country,  and  some  time  about  1774  he  joined  the 
Methodist  Society  in  Virginia.  In  1777  he  was  admitted 
into  the  traveling  connection,  and  appointed  to  the  North 
Carolina  Circuit;  in  1778,  to  Brunswick;  in  1779 and  1780, 
to  Roanoke;  but  in  1781  he  located,  doubtless  because  of 
failing  health,  for  when  Bishop  Asbury  visited  him,  he 
says,  "his  voice  is  gone."  Two  years  later  he  was  read- 
mitted and  appointed  to  New  York,  where  he  had  great 
success  for  two  years.  In  1785  he  traveled  the  Bertie  Cir- 
cuit, and  the  three  following  years  in  New  York.  And 
when  the  Book  Concern  was  established,  in  1789,  he  was 
appointed  to  superintend  the  business,  where  he  remained 
until  his  death  in  1798.     He  died  of  that  terrible  scourge 

^'Pioneers  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina  and  Virginia,' 
page  56. 


JOHN    DICKINS. 


Early  Circuits  and  Pioneers.  61 

yellow  fever,  after  passing  through  two  epidemics  of  the 
same  malady.  Through  them  all  he  remained  at  the  post 
of  duty.  The  following  letter  was  written  to  his  friend 
Bishop  Asbury,  at  the  time  when  this  pestilence  was  num- 
bering its  victims  by  the  scores  and  hundreds :  "My  much 
esteemed  friend  and  brother,  I  sit  down  to  write  as  in  the 
jaws  of  death — whether  Providence  may  permit  me  to 
see  your  face  again  in  the  flesh,  I  know  not.  But  if  not,  I 
hope,  through  abundant  mercy,  that  we  shall  meet  in  the 
presence  of  God.  I  am  truly  conscious  that  I  am  an  unprof- 
itable, a  very  unprofitable,  servant;  but  I  think  my  heart 
condemns  me  not ;  and,  therefore,  I  have  confidence  toward 
God.  Perhaps  I  might  have  left  the  city,  as  most  of  my 
friends  and  brethren  have  done;  but  when  I  thought  of 
such  a  thing,  my  mind  recurred  to  that  Providence  which 
has  done  so  much  for  me,  a  poor  worm,  that  I  was  afraid 
of  indulging  in  any  distrust.  So  I  commit  myself  and 
family  into  the  hands  of  God,  for  life  or  death."  Asbury 
says  of  him :  "For  piety,  probity,  profitable  preaching,  holy 
living,  Christian  education  of  his  children,  secret  closet 
prayer,  I  doubt  whether  his  superior  is  to  be  found  either 
in  Europe  or  America."  In  another  chapter  we  will  refer 
to  this  faithful  servant  of  God  again. 

Lee  Roy  Cole  was  born  in  Virginia,  June  5,  1749.  He 
was  twenty-six  years  old  before  the  Methodists  were 
known  in  his  section.  One  of  Cole's  brothers  heard  them 
somewhere  and  brought  a  favorable  report  of  their  labors. 
This  report  impressed  him  deeply.  Years  afterwards,  in 
speaking  of  it,  he  says :  "From  what  he  said,  I  was  deeply 
impressed  that  they  were  gospel  ministers,  and  that  it  was 


y 


62  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

the  work  of  God  among  them.  From  this  view  I  went  into 
the  held  and  lifted  my  hands  and  heart  to  God,  and  made  a 
solemn  vow  that  I  would  serve  him  all  the  days  of  my  life. 
I  prepared  myself,  and  went  about  one  hundred  miles  in 
pursuit  of  these  ministers.  I  called  at  a  house  where  I  un- 
derstood the  people  were  Methodists,  and  while  I  was  there 
a  traveling  minister  came  in,  namely,  James  Foster.  I 
viewed  him  with  scrutiny,  and  was  well  pleased  with  all 
his  movements.  Under  his  prayer  my  feelings  were  so 
awakened  that,  after  he  closed,  I  sat  by  him  and  put  my 
arm  around  him.  About  three  weeks  after  I  set  out  to  seek 
the  Lord.  The  Father  of  Mercies  was  graciously  pleased 
at  a  night  meeting,  between  the  hours  of  twelve  and  one, 
powerfully  to  convert  my  soul.  From  that  time  I  walked 
in  the  sunshine  of  his  love  from  day  to  day,  from  month 
to  month,  and  from  year  to  year."1  He  was  licensed  to 
preach  by  Mr.  Shadford,  joined  the  itinerancy,  and  was 
appointed  with  others  to  North  Carolina.  He  was  or- 
dained at  the  Christmas  Conference  in  1784. 

At  the  Conference  held  in  Baltimore,  June,  1785,  he  was 
suspended  from  the  ministry.  The  charges  against  him 
are  unknown.  Dr.  Coke  says:  "We  opened  our  Confer- 
ence, and  were  driven  to  the  painful  necessity  of  suspend- 
ing a  member,  and  he  no  less  than  an  ekler,  who  for  ten 
years  had  retained  an  unblemished  reputation."2  This  un- 
doubtedly refers  to  Cole,  as  the  minutes  for  1785  contain 
this  brief  passage:  "Question  9.  Who  is  laid  aside?  Lee 
Roy  Cole."    The  allegation  against  him  is  not  known,  but 

^Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,  March  19,  1830. 
'Coke's  Journal,  Arminian  Magazine,  1789,  page  397. 


Early  Circuits  and  Pioneers.  63 

we  know  he  asserted  his  innocence  and  trusted  in  God  for 
his  vindication.  And  "in  less  than  a  year  the  Conference 
became  convinced  of  the  injustice  of  their  verdict  and  in- 
vited Mr.  Cole  again  into  their  fellowship."1  The  Confer- 
ence showed  their  confidence  by  appointing  him  "elder" 
over  Newbern,  New  River,  Wilmington,  and  Antigua. 
He  only  traveled  a  few  years  when  his  health  failed,  and 
he  retired  from  the  itinerancy.  In  1808  he  went  to  Ken- 
tucky, and  served  the  Church  there  as  a  local  preacher 
until  18 14,  when  he  was  readmitted  into  the  traveling 
connection,  where  he  labored  faithfully  for  a  few  years, 
and  then  remained  in  the  superannuate  relation  until  the 
6th  of  February,  1830,  when  his  sufferings  ended  with  a 
most  triumphant  death. 

Edward  Pride,  the  fourth  man  on  the  North  Carolina 
Circuit  for  1777,  appears  on  the  minutes  this  year;  and 
in  1778  he  was  second  man  on  the  Brunswick  Circuit  with 
John  Dickins  as  principal.  After  this  there  is  no  further 
record  of  him  in  the  minutes. 

While  these  pioneers  had  been  planting  Methodism  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  North  Carolina,  and  extending 
their  labors  to  the  southwest,  the  preachers,  since  1776. 
had  been  crossing  over  the  Blue  Ridge  from  the  Pittsyl- 
vania Circuit  and  preaching  in  private  houses  in  Stokes, 
Rockingham,  and  Surry  counties.2 

'Redford's  "History  of  Methodism  in  Kentucky,"  Vol.  II.,  page 
312. 

2Rev.  Peter  Doub,  D.D.,  in  Raleigh  Enterprise,  April  30,  1866. 
Much  of  the  information  given  by  Mr.  Doub  was  received  from  Rev. 
Ira  Ellis,  who  lived  in  that  period  and  was  in  a  position  to  know,  be- 
ing secretary  of  several  Annual  Conferences, 


64  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

In  1778,  Jesse  Lee  says,  in  "North  Carolina  the  preach- 
ers divided  the  one  circuit  that  was  there  before  so  as  to 
form  three  circuits,  and  they  were  now  called  Roanoke, 
Tar  River,  and  New  Hope."1  The  minutes,  however, 
only  show  that  the  Roanoke  Circuit  takes  the  place 
of  the  North  Carolina  Circuit,  and  no  mention  is  made 
of  the  Tar  River  and  New  Hope  until  1779.  This 
may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  the  minutes  were  very 
meager  at  this  period  of  the  war,  everything  in  a  dis- 
organized state,  and  not  enough  preachers  to  supply  the 
circuits  already  in  existence.  But  there  is  some  evidence 
to  show  that  the  Roanoke  Circuit  existed  previous  to  the 
Conference  in  1778.  Freeborn  Garrettson  in  his  Journal 
says:  "In  September  [1777]  I  went  to  North  Carolina,  to 
travel  the  Roanoke  Circuit,  and  was  sweetly  drawn  out  in 
the  glorious  work."2  And  yet  the  minutes  have  Garrett- 
son during  this  year  on  the  Brunswick  Circuit.  The  most 
logical  conclusion  is  that  during  1777  the  Roanoke  Cir- 
cuit was  planned,  and  a  preacher — Garrettson — was  sent 
from  the  Brunswick  Circuit  to  labor  until  Conference. 

William  Glendenning  traveled  the  Roanoke  Circuit  in 
1778.  He  was  a  very  eccentric  Scotchman,  who  came  to 
America  in  1774  as  a  "volunteer  missionary"  and  joined 
the  Conference  in  1775,  and  was  sent  to  the  Brunswick 
Circuit  with  five  others,  "thus  being  one  of  the  first  to 
preach  in  North  Carolina."    During  the  year  1778,  while 

'"Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  by  Jesse  Lee,  page  63. 

2"Life  of  Garrettson,"  by  Bangs,  New  York,  1829,  page  60.  "Ex- 
perience and  Travels  of  Freeborn  Garrettson,"  published  in  Phila- 
delphia, 1791,  and  sold  by  John  Dickins,  page  70. 


Early  Circuits  and  Pioneers.  65 

on  the  Roanoke  Circuit,  he  was  the  pastor  of  Jesse  Lee, 
and  appointed  him  class  leader.  He  traveled  in  Virginia, 
North  Carolina,  Maryland,  and  Pennsylvania.  His  name 
was  proposed  for  elder's  orders  in  1784,  but  was  refused, 
as  he  was  not  deemed  qualified  for  the  trust.  He  at  once 
"fell  into  a  morbid  spiritual  state  which  soon  developed 
into  insanity.''  On  account  of  the  condition  of  his  mind, 
he  stopped  preaching  in  1785,  and  located  in  1786.  The 
Conference  continued  to  assist  him  from  the  superan- 
nuate fund.  He  applied  for  readmission  in  1792,  but 
was  not  received  because  of  his  mental  condition.  In 
speaking  of  his  condition  in  1786,  he  says:  "I  was  re- 
moved to  one  Leonard  Smith's  in  North  Carolina,  in  order 
to  try  what  physicians  could  do  for  me.  I  knew,  and  told 
them,  that  all  doctors  and  physic  upon  earth  could  do  me 
no  good.  But  they  took  me,  and  forced  me  there.  While 
I  was  there,  Dr.  Smith  forced  me  to  take  some  of  his 
physic,  but  it  answered  no  end."1  There  seems  to  have 
been  some  improvement  in  his  mind  after  this.  Some  time 
previous  to  1805  he  settled  in  Raleigh,  where  he  kept  a 
grocery  store  on  Newbern  street  opposite  the  Episcopal 
rectory.2  He  was  also  a  printer  and  publisher  in  Raleigh 
as  early  as  1805.3     How  many  books  he  published  is  not 

1<(Life  of  William  Glendenning,"  written  by  himself  and  pub- 
lished in  Philadelphia  in  1795,  in  which  he  gives  a  full  account  of  his 
sufferings.  He  also  criticises  Bishop  Asbury  for  his  treatment  of 
him.     This  rare  old  book  is  in  the  private  library  of  the  writer. 

2Rev.  A.  W.  Mangum  in  "Centennial  of  Methodism  in  North 
Carolina,"  page  84. 

3The  writer  has  in  his  library  a  book  of  sermons  by  Rev.  Deve- 
reux  Jarratt,  published  by  William  Glendenning,  Newbern  street, 
near  State  House,  Raleigh,  N.  C,  1805. 

5 


66  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

known.  But  with  all  of  his  eccentricities,  he  was  success- 
ful in  business,  and  accumulated  considerable  property. 
While  he  was  irt  Raleigh  he  built  a  house  of  worship  out  of 
his  own  means.  Here  he  often  preached,  conducting  the 
services  in  his  own  way.  The  chapel  was  called  Bethel. 
He  allowed  the  Methodist  preachers  to  occupy  it  occa- 
sionally. He  left  the  Church  and  joined  O' Kelly  in  his 
secession. 

The  life  of  William  Glendenning  is  a  sad  one.  During 
the  worst  state  of  his  insanity  he  suffered  under  many  hal- 
lucinations, which  he  always  looked  upon  afterwards  as 
being  real,  and  would  often  quote  them  in  his  sermons. 
The  dark  cloud  was  somewhat  lifted  in  his  last  days, 
friendship  between  him  and  Asbury  was  restored,  and  he 
died  in  peace  in  1816. 

The  Roanoke  Circuit  was  situated  along  the  Roanoke 
River,  and  included  perhaps  Bertie,  Northampton,  Hali- 
fax, and  Warren  counties.  Roanoke  will  always  stand 
in  the  annals  of  Methodist  history  as  an  honored  name. 
It  remained  on  the  minutes  for  many  years  as  one  of  the 
best  circuits.  Its  members  were  distinguished  for  their 
piety  and  social  position.  Here  "that  grand  old  man" 
Lovick  Pierce  was  born.  Here,  too,  was  the  home  of  that 
silver-tongued  orator,  Thomas  G.  Lowe.  In  the  bounds  of 
this  circuit,  at  the  place  called  "the  old  Barn,"  Jesse  Lee 
preached  his  first  sermon.  Here  the  first  subscription  to  a 
Methodist  school  in  America  was  made  by  Gabriel  Long 
and  brother  Bustian.  Afro^fLall,  this  was  the  cradle  of 
Ty Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  arrive  at  anything  like  the  bounds 


X 


Early  Circuits  and  Pioneers.  ^    67 


\ 


ary  line  of  the  Tar  River  Circuit.     However,  it  was  be- 


tween thelvoanoke  and  New  Hope  circuits,  and  must  have 
included  Franklin,  Nash,  and  Edgecombe,  as  they  lay 
along  the  river  from  which  it  takes  its  name.  The  New 
Hope  Circuit  included  portions  of  Orange,  Chatham,  Cum- 
berland, and  Wake  counties.  The  circuit  took  its  name 
from  a  small  creek  in  Chatham  that  empties  into  Haw 
River.  These  were  all  the  circuits  in  North  Carolina  up 
to  1780  when  the  Yadkin  Circuit  was  formed. 

Thus  we  have  glanced  at  some  of  the  heroes  who  came 
to  North  Carolina  to  plant  Methodism  within  its  bounds. 
No  pen  can  portray  the  cost  to  them  of  such  an  undertak- 
ing, or  tell  of  the  harvest  that  will  come  from  such  sowing. 
We  shall  see  some  of  the  results  of  their  toils  as  we  pro- 
ceed in  these  pages.  The  pen  of  the  historian  has  never 
traced  the  labors  of  more  dpvotpd  and  heroic  men  than  . 

these.      l\  was  not  worldly  honor    nor  worldly   prair^   for 

which  they  labored ;  but  they  had  motives  as  high  as 
heaven  and  as  broad  as  the  needs  of  the,  human  ra,rer 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PERIOD  OF  THE  REVOLUTION. 

Demoralizing  Effect  of  War.  Defense  Unnecessary.  Declaration  of 
Independence.  Cause  of  the  War— Taxation— A  Deeper  Princi- 
ple—Stamp Act.  Liberty  in  the  Air— Effect  upon  Methodism. 
Principal  Battles  in  North  Carolina.  Mr.  Wesley's  Letter  Mis- 
understood. Some  Refused  to  Bear  Arms.  Jesse  Lee  Drafted— 
Refuses  to  Bear  Arms— Put  Under  Guard— Preaches  in  Camp- 
Drives  a  Wagon.  Green  Hill.  Philip  Bruce-Some  Incidents- 
Bruce  at  King's  Mountain.    Effects  of  the  War  upon  Methodism. 

Just  after  Methodism  had  entered,"  North  Carolina  and 
its  influence  was  beginning  to  be  felt,  the  excitement  inci- 
dent to  the  Revolutionary  War  began.  This  was  oneof_ 
the  early  hindrances  to  Methodism.  War  is  always  de- 
moralizing. It  locks  the  wheels  of  commerce,  and  checks 
every  enterprise.  Especially  is  this  true  in  reference  to  the 
agencies  of  the  Church  which  are  for  the  moral  upbuilding 
and  spiritual  progress  of  the  people.  From  the  very  nature 
of  war  and  Christianity,  they  are  directly  opposed  to  each 
other.  And  yet  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  may  over- 
rule even  a  bloody  war,  and  make  it  subserve  his  purpose, 
in  the  progress  and  establishment  of  his  kingdom.  Look- 
ing at  Methodism  in  North  Carolina  when  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  was  putting  in  its  destructive  work,  the  early 
itinerant,  could  see  nothing  but  the  pattering  of  forces 
and  disorganization.  To  him  it'Tooked  like  ruin  and  de- 
struction to  the  young  Society.  But  while  it  appeared 
thus  to  these  heroic  men  who  came  to  plant  Methodism 
(68) 


Period  of  the  Revolution.  69 

in  North  Carolina,  and  while  it  did  check  their  work  and 
hinder  their  progress,  we  sMll  see  that  Providence  was 
directing,  and  that  in  the  end  Methodism  was  placed  upon 
a  more  solid  basis.  In  this  case,  as  it  is  in  many  others,  the  A 
Lord  makes  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  him./\For  when 
we  consider  the  condition  of  the  country,  the  motives  of 
the  men  who  were  the  great  actors  in  the  conflict,  the 
tyrannical  measures  and  spirit  of  the  government,  and  that 
the  liberty  and  the  best  interest  of  the  people  were  at  stake, 
then  we  can  see  how  it  may  be  possible  for  the  whole 
movement  to  be  dominated  by  Christian  principle.  For  it 
was  a  conflict  between  truth  and  error,  liberty  and  oppres- 
sion. And  the  colony  of  North  Carolina  needs  to  make 
no  defense  for  being  the  first  to  take  a  strong  stand  for 
liberty*—  It  is  not  necessary  for  any  one  to  write  a  line  in 
defense  of  the  position  of  the  men  in  Mecklenburg  county 
in  i/7;p  Their  views  were  supported  by  those  of  most  of 
the  other  counties  of  the  province ;  and  the  result  was  that 
North  Carolina  was  surpassed  by  none  of  her  sisters  in 
cultivating  the  spirit  of  liberty  and  independence.  The 
question  has  often  been  asked  whether  she  was  justified 
in  taking  this  bold  and  defiant  stand.  In  justification  of 
this  advanced  position  on  the  subject  of  independence,  the 
following  are  some  of  the  reasons  that  have  been  given: 

First.  Taxation  without  representation  was  one  of  the 
principles  to  which  her  citizens  objected.  Representation 
of  America  by  Americans  in  the  lawmaking  assemblies 
was  denied  by  Great  Britain.  "Every  borough  and  shire 
of  England,  Wales,  and  Scotland  was  represented  in  one 
way  or  another  in  the  English  House  of  Commons,"  while 


70  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

not  one  was  there  to  represent  the  thirteen  colonies  ot 
America.  And  yet  the  crown  and  parliament  had  com- 
plete control  of  the  most  vital  interest  in  the  colonies.  This 
the  people  of  North  Carolina  felt  was  not  right.  Then, 
the  taxes  were  enormous.  While  the  people  were  always 
ready  to  pay  legitimate  taxes,  yet  they  were  not  willing  to 
pay  extortions  placed  upon  them  by  irresponsible  officers. 
That  a  man  should  be  obliged  to  pay  a  tax  of  four  or  five 
shillings  annually,  or  any  other  sum,  however  trivial,  for 
supporting  a  form  of  worship  which  he  conscientiously 
believed  to  be  wrong,  or  which  was  at  least  irksome  to 
him,  was  a  greater  violation  of  his  rights  and  more  in- 
jurious in  its  effects  than  that  he  should  be  compelled  to 
pay  a  few  pennies  on  every  pound  of  tea  he  used.  The 
latter  is  frequently  spoken  of  as  one  of  the  main  causes  of 
the  Revolution ;  but,  in  fact,  did  not  the  other  reach  beyond 
the  mere  question  of  taxation,  and  involve  a  principle  that 
was  much  more  far-reaching  in  its  effect  ?  For  the  people 
who  led  in  this  movement  were  of  the  best  element  in 
society  and  in  the  Church. 

Second.  The  Stamp  Act  was  another  cause  of  the  war. 
This  act  provided  that  all  contracts,  notes,  bonds,  deeds, 
writs,  and  other  public  documents  should  be  written  on 
government  paper  which  had  a  "stamp"  on  it,  and  which 
was  to  be  sold  at  a  high  price  by  government  agents,  and 
from  the  sale  of  which  a  large  revenue  was  expected  for 
the  English  treasury.  This  act  produced  great  excitement 
throughout  the  colonies,  and  in  no  place  more  than  in 
North  Carolina.  When  the  news  of  the  passage  of  this 
act  reached  North  Carolina,  the  General  Assembly  was 


Period  of  the  Revolution.  71 

in  session,  and  immediate  action  would  have  been  taken 
had  it  not  been  for  the  prudent  management  of  Governor 
Tryon.  However,  John  Ashe,  the  Speaker  of  the  House, 
plainly  informed  the  governor  that  the  act  would  be  re- 
sisted "unto  blood  and  death."  Although  this  act  was  re- 
pealed a  year  after  it  was  passed,  it  left  a  bad  impression 
in  the  minds  of  the  people. 

Other  detailed  reasons  might  be  given,  but  suffice  it  to 
say  that  the  time  had  come  for  the  American  people  to 
govern  themselves.  Liberty  was  in  the  air.  It  had  been 
pronounced  in  North  Carolina,  the  same  sound  had  echoed 
from  Massachusetts,  and  everywhere  the  hearts  of  the  peo- 
ple were  responding  to  this  cry  for  liberty.  And  why 
should  they  not  sigh  for  liberty  ?  Many  who  were  making 
this  cry  had  come  to  the  New  World  for  religious  free- 
dom :  Puritans  and  Quakers  from  England,  Presbyterians 
from  Ireland  and  Scotland,  Palatines  from  the  Rhine,  and 
Huguenots  from  France.  They  had  all  come  seeking  re- 
lief, and  it  was  natural  for  them  to  resent  any  movement 
that  suggested  the  idea  of  oppression. 

The  effect  of  the  war  upon  Methodism  seemed  at  one 
time  to  be  ruinous ;  and,  in  fact,  it  did  for  the  time  being 
greatly  retard  its  progress.  We  will  see  that  it  meant 
much  to  Methodism ;  that  American  independence  implied 
the  independence  of  American  Methodism.  Long  before 
now  has  the  observant  mind  been  enabled  to  see  that  this 
Revolution  meant  much  to  the  then  young  and  growing 
Methodist  Society  in  America.  And  as  North  Carolina 
was  the  scene  of  the  most  decisive  struggles  of  the  war, 
we  will  go  a  little  further  into  detail  than  we  otherwise 


72  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

would,  and  especially  so  since  some  in  the  Society  were 
so  closely  connected  with  the  movement.  In  1780  the 
battle  of  Ramsour's  Mills,  in  Lincoln  county  near  Lincoln- 
ton,  was  fought,  and  on  October  7,  1780,  that  of  King's 
Mountain.  On  March  15,  1781,  perhaps  one  of  the  most 
decisive  battles  fought  during  that  exciting  period  was 
fought  at  Guilford  Courthouse.  And  from  Guilford  to 
Wilmington  everything  was  demoralized  as  a  result  of  the 
army  of  Cornwallis,  which  had  spread  dismay  also  in 
many  other  sections  of  the  state. 

The  effect  of  this  war  was  very  marked  upon  the  prog- 
ress of  Methodism.  There  were  several  circumstances 
which  made  the  outlook  very  discouraging  and  critical  to 
the  early  pioneers.  About  the  beginning  of  the  war,  Mr. 
Wesley  wrote  a  letter  to  the  American  colonies  in  which 
he  exhorted  them  to  be  peacemakers,  and  to  say  nothing 
on  either  side.  This  raised  a  storm  on  both  sides  of  the 
Atlantic — in  England  as  well  as  in  America.  His  idea 
seems  to  have  been  to  settle  the  difficulty  without  war. 
His  object  was  good,  but  it  was  not  understood.  He  was 
credited  with  working  in  the  interests  of  the  crown,  and 
hence  his  followers  in  America  were  regarded  as  being  in 
sympathy  with  the  King  of  England.  This  had  a  very 
disastrous  effect  upon  Methodism  in  America.  Especially 
was  this  true  as  it  was  known  that  some  of  the  leading 
preachers  were  from  England,  and  the  people  naturally 
expected  them  to  be  in  sympathy  with  the  English.  They 
were  here  as  missionaries,  and  while  they  were  deeply 
interested  in  their  work,  and  loved  their  brethren  in  Amer- 
ica, yet  they  could  not  side  with  them  against  their  native 


Period  of  the  Revolution.  73 

country.  Truly  they  were  in  a  most  embarrassing  sit- 
uation. Suspected  of  being  on  the  side  of  England,  it  was 
hard  for  them  to  remain  silent.  And  as  persecutions  had 
already  arisen  against  the  Methodists,  many  people  were 
glad  to  embrace  the  opportunity  to  check  the  progress  of 
Methodism.  An  able  historian  says :  "It  is  no  wonder  that 
any  one  who  wished  to  raise  the  wind  of  persecution 
against  a  Methodist  preacher  need  only  shout  'Tory !'  and 
his  wish  was  accomplished.  To  this  disagreeable  practice 
some  resorted,  and  thereby  gratified  their  unreasonable 
opposition  to  the  men  whom  they  inwardly  hated  on  ac- 
count of  the  spirited  manner  in  which  they  rebuked  them 
for  their  wickedness."1 

There  were  some  Methodists  who  were  opposed  to  war 
from  principle,  and  absolutely  refused  to  fight.  These 
were  whipped,  fined,  or  imprisoned  and  punished  in  a 
variety  of  ways.  The  English,  having  met  with  several 
disasters  in  the  south,  commenced  a  retreat  through  North 
Carolina  and  Virginia.  It  is  not  our  business  to  follow 
them  through  the  scenes  of  battle  in  1780-81.  Our  task 
is  to  notice  that  which  vitally  affects  Methodism. 

In  the  summer  of  1780  the  militia  of  North  Carolina 
were  drafted,  and  Jesse  Lee,  who  became  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  Methodist  preachers  in  America,  was  forced 
to  face  the  storm  that  was  then  gathering  in  his  adopted 
state.  Jesse  Lee  was  born  in  Prince  George  county,  Vir- 
ginia, on  March  12,  1758.  He  joined  Society  under  Rob- 
ert Williams  in  1774,  and  the  wonderful  revivals  on  the 

1  "History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,"  Bangs,  Vol.  I., 
page  139. 


74  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

old  Brunswick  Circuit  about  this  time,  no  doubt,  had  much 
to  do  in  developing  him  into  a  great  spiritual  force,  and 
of  helping  him  to  decide  upon  his  life  work.  The  true 
evangels  are  generally  made  in  great  revivals.  He 
preached  his  first  sermon  on  the  17th  of  September,  1779, 
at  a  place  called  the  "Old  Barn"  in  North  Carolina.  About 
this  time  the  Rev.  John  Dickins,  pastor  of  the  Roanoke 
Circuit,  being  busy  doing  some  literary  work,  requested 
him  to  take  his  place  on  the  circuit  for  a  few  weeks.  Here 
he  had  his  first  experience  as  a  traveling  preacher.  In  July 
of  the  next  year  (1780)  the  militia  were  drafted,  and  Mr. 
Lee  was  among  the  number  to  go.  He  was  among  those 
who  felt  that  it  was  not  right  to  engage  in  war,  and 
hence  he  positively  refused  to  bear  arms.  But  as  he  was 
thoughtful  enough  to  keep  a  Journal,  for  that  reason,  and 
others,  we  prefer  that  he  should  tell  his  own  story : 

"I  weighed  the  matter  over  and  over  again,  but  my 
mind  was  settled ;  as  a  Christian  and  as  a  preacher  of  the 
gospel  I  could  not  fight.  I  could  not  reconcile  it  to  myself 
to  bear  arms,  or  to  kill  one  of  my  fellow-creatures ;  how- 
ever, I  determined  to  go,  and  to  trust  in  the  Lord;  and 
accordingly  prepared  for  my  journey. 

"Monday,  July  17th,  1780. — I  left  home  and  set  out 
for  the  army,  traveled  about  twenty-five  miles  to  Mr. 
Green  Hill's,  where  I  was  kindly  used.  I  tarried  there  all 
night.  Wednesday,  19th. — I  set  off  early  in  the  morning, 
and  traveled  about  sixteen  miles  to  Mr.  Hines's.  In  the 
afternoon  we  had  much  conversation  on  spiritual  matters, 
and  in  the  evening  felt  my  heart  more  engaged  with  God 
in  prayer  than  usual.  I  felt  my  dependence  upon  God,  and 


Period  of  the  Revolution.  75 

though  I  believed  that  great  difficulties  lay  before  me,  yet 
I  resigned  myself  into  the  hands  of  God,  and  felt  assured 
that  he  would  protect  and  take  care  of  me. 

"I  did  not  join  the  army  till  the  29th.  On  the  evening 
of  that  day  I  came  in  sight  of  the  camp,  and  was  soon 
called  on  parade,  and  orders  were  given  for  all  the  soldiers 
to  be  furnished  with  guns.  I  then  lifted  up  my  heart  to 
God  and  besought  him  to  take  my  cause  in  his  hands,  and 
support  me  in  the  hour  of  trial. 

"The  sergeant  soon  came  round  with  the  guns,  and 
offered  one  to  me,  but  I  would  not  take  it.  Then  the  lieu- 
tenant brought  me  one,  but  I  refused  to  take  it.  He  said 
I  should  go  under  guard.  He  then  went  to  the  colonel, 
and  coming  back,  brought  a  gun  and  set  it  down  against 
me.  I  told  him  he  had  as  well  take  it  away,  or  it  would 
fall.  He  then  took  me  with  him  and  delivered  me  to  the 
guard.  After  a  while  the  colonel  came,  and  taking  me  out 
a  little  way  from  the  guard,  he  began  to  converse  with  me, 
and  to  assign  many  reasons  why  I  should  bear  arms ;  but 
his  reasons  were  not  sufficiently  cogent  to  make  any  alter- 
ation in  my  mind.  He  then  told  the  guard  to  take  care  of 
me,  and  so  left  me. 

"Many  of  the  people  came  and  talked  with  me  and  pitied 
me,  and  would  leave  me  with  tears  in  their  eyes.  We  lay 
encamped  at  a  tavern  a  few  miles  from  the  site  of  what 
was  afterwards  the  seat  of  government  (Raleigh)  for 
North  Carolina.  After  dark  I  told  the  guard  we  must 
pray  before  we  slept ;  and  having  a  Baptist  under  guard,  I 
asked  him  to  pray,  which  he  did.  I  then  told  the  people  if 
they  would  come  out  early  in  the  morning,  I  would  pray 


j6  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

with  them.  I  felt  remarkably  happy  in  God  under  all  my 
trouble,  and  did  not  doubt  but  that  I  should  be  delivered  in 
due  time.  Some  of  the  soldiers  brought  me  some  straw  to 
lie  upon,  and  offered  me  their  blankets  and  greatcoats  for 
covering.  I  slept  pretty  well  that  night,  which  was  the 
first  and  last  night  I  was  ever  under  guard. 

"Sunday,  30th. — As  soon  as  it  was  light,  I  was  up  and 
began  to  sing,  and  some  hundreds  of  people  soon  assem- 
bled and  joined  with  me,  and  we  made  the  plantation 
ring  with  the  songs  of  Zion.  We  then  kneeled  down  and 
prayed;  and  while  I  was  praying,  my  soul  was  happy  in 
God,  and  I  wept  much  and  prayed  loud,  and  many  of  the 
poor  soldiers  also  wept.  I  do  not  think  that  I  ever  felt 
more  willing  to  suffer  for  the  sake  of  religion  than  I  did 
at  that  time. 

"A  little  after  we  were  done  prayer,  Mr.  Thomas,  the 
tavern-keeper,  came  out  and  talked  with  me,  and  told  me 
he  was  in  bed  when  he  heard  me  praying,  that  he  could 
not  refrain  from  tears,  and  he  had  called  to  see  me,  and 
know  if  I  would  be  willing  to  preach  to  them  that  day, 
it  being  Sabbath.  I  told  him  I  would  preach  provided  he 
would  procure  a  block,  or  something,  for  me  to  stand 
upon ;  which  he  readily  promised  to  do.  I  told  him,  withal, 
I  wished  him  to  go  to  the  colonel,  for  we  had  no  higher 
officer  amongst  us,  and  obtain  leave  for  me  to  preach ; 
which  he  did,  and  liberty  was  granted.  It  is  just  to  state 
that  Colonel  was  a  man  of  great  humanity,  al- 
though a  profane  swearer.  When  he  heard  that  I  was 
about  to  preach,  it  affected  him  very  much,  so  he  took  me 
out  to  talk  with  me  on  the  subject  of  bearing  arms.     I 


Period  of  the  Revolution.  77 

told  him  I  could  not  kill  a  man  with  a  good  conscience,  but 
I  was  a  friend  to  my  country,  and  was  willing  to  do  any- 
thing that  I  could,  while  I  continued  in  the  army,  except 
that  of  fighting.  He  then  asked  me  if  I  would  be  willing 
to  drive  their  baggage  wagon?  I  told  him  I  would, 
though  I  had  never  driven  a  wagon  before;  he  said  their 
main  cook  was  a  Methodist,  and  could  drive  the  wagon 
when  we  were  on  a  march,  and  I  might  lodge  and  eat 
with  him ;  to  which  I  agreed.  He  then  released  me  from 
guard,  and  said  when  I  was  ready  to  begin  meeting  I 
might  stand  on  a  bench  by  his  tent.  When  the  hour  ar- 
rived I  began  under  the  trees,  and  took  my  text  in  Luke 
xiii.  5,  'Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish.' 
After  I  had  been  speaking  a  while  it  began  to  rain,  and  we 
were  under  the  necessity  of  going  into  the  house,  where  I 
resumed  my  discourse.  I  was  enabled  to  speak  plainly, 
and  without  fear ;  and  I  wept  while  endeavoring  to  deliver 
my  message.  Many  of  the  people,  officers  as  well  as  men, 
were  bathed  in  tears  before  I  was  done.  That  meeting 
afforded  me  an  ample  reward  for  all  my  trouble.  At  the 
close  of  the  meeting  some  of  the  gentlemen  went  about 
with  their  hats  to  make  a  collection  of  money  for  me,  at 
which  I  was  very  uneasy,  and  ran  in  among  the  people  and 
begged  them  to  desist.  I  could  not  at  that  time  feel  willing 
to  receive  any  compensation  for  preaching.  I  thought  if 
the  people  could  afford  to  sit  and  hear  me,  I  could  afford 
to  stand  and  preach  to  them.  I  felt  my  heart  humbled 
before  God,  and  was  truly  thankful  to  him  for  the  grace 
communicated  to  my  soul  at  that  time.  I  had  no  doubt 
but  that  all  things  would  work  out  for  my  good. 


78  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

"On  Monday  I  took  charge  of  the  wagon,  and  felt  very 
much  resigned  to  the  will  of  God."1 

It  is  thought  by  some  that  the  sermon  preached  by  Jesse 
Lee,  referred  to  above,  was  the  first  Methodist  sermon 
preached  in  that  immediate  section.  Thomas's  tavern  was 
situated  near  the  present  city  of  Raleigh.  From  here  the 
army  moved  on  toward  the  south,  "passed  through  Chat- 
ham county,  crossed  Haw  River,  and  the  Island  Ford  and 
Deep  Creek,  at  Ronney's  Mills,  crossed  Drowning  Creek 
at  Cole's  Bridge,  and  the  next  day  entered  the  state  of 
South  Carolina;  and  then  to  the  banks  of  the  Pee  Dee 
River,  where  they  encamped."  They  finally  fell  back  into 
North  Carolina,  and  on  Monday,  August  28th,  we  find 
them  at  Ronney's  Mills  on  Deep  River,  where  they  re- 
mained until  September  5th.  Here  Mr.  Lee  was  quite  sick 
for  a  few  days.  They  went  through  Randolph  county, 
crossing  Caraway  River,  stopping  for  four  days  near  Salis- 
bury, where  they  lynched  a  noted  "Tory,"  hanging  him 
up  without  judge  or  jury.  Lee  remained  with  them  until 
October  29th,  when  he  obtained  his  discharge.  Here  he 
ended  his  military  labor,  and  returned  home,  where  he 
soon  entered  his  life  work.  Through  it  all  he  kept  a  clear 
conscience,  having  never  killed  a  single  human  being. 

However,  there  were  very  few  Methodists  who  were 
so  extremely  opposed  to  war  as  Mr.  Lee.  The  Quakers, 
and  occasionally  a  Methodist,  would  take  such  extreme 
views  as  his.  But  many  prominent  Methodists  took  part 
in  the  conflict,  and  made  valiant  soldiers.     Green  Hill,  a 

1  "Memoirs  of  Jesse  Lee,"  Thrift,  page  29. 


Period  of  the  Revolution.  79 

Methodist  minister,  was  one  of  the  representatives  from 
Bute  county  in  the  Provincial  Congress  which  met  in 
Newbern,  April  4,  1774.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Hillsboro  Congress  which  met  August  20th,  1775,  and 
of  the  Halifax  Congress  of  April,  1776.  Philip  Bruce  was 
a  great  friend  to  the  cause  of  liberty,  and  as  a  result  suf- 
fered many  narrow  escapes. 

The  name  of  Philip  Bruce  will  ever  hold  a  sacred  place 
in  the  annals  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina.  He  was 
born  near  King's  Mountain,  December  25th,  1755.  His 
grandfather  was  a  French  Protestant  who  came  to  this 
country  with  the  persecuted  Huguenots.  He  received  his 
education  under  a  Scotch  teacher.  During  a  revival  con- 
ducted by  the  pioneer  preacher  in  his  neighborhood,  young 
Philip  gave  his  heart  to  God,  and  was  the  first  of  his  family 
to  become  a  Methodist.  A  holy  fire  was  kindled  in  his 
soul  that  burned  brightly  and  with  ever-increasing  splen- 
dor for  more  than  fifty  years.  His  father  and  mother 
were  the  first  fruits  of  his  labors.  He  was  soon  after- 
wards licensed  as  an  exhorter.  At  this  time  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  was  in  full  blast,  and  Toryism  was  rife  in 
that  part  of  the  land. 

"The  Bruces  were  zealous  republicans,  and  none  of  them 
more  so  than  young  Philip.  He  had  many  narrow  escapes 
from  the  halter  and  the  bullet.  One  day  as  he  was  hunt- 
ing wild  turkeys  in  the  woods  a  party  of  Tories  rushed 
upon  him  and  made  him  prisoner ;  they  were  about  to  hang 
him  to  the  nearest  tree,  when,  in  examining  his  pockets, 
they  found  his  license  as  an  exhorter.  The  captain  imme- 
diately said  it  would  never  do  to  hang  a  priest,  and  ordered 


80  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

him  to  be  released,  with  a  warning  never  again  to  be 
caught  shooting  wild  turkeys.  Unwittingly  they  had  set 
at  liberty  one  of  the  best  friends  of  the  American  cause,  for 
Bruce  had  opportunities  for  collecting  information  respect- 
ing the  designs  and  movements  of  the  British  possessed 
by  few  in  his  neighborhood,  and  he  never  failed  to  make 
his  knowledge  serviceable  to  the  cause  of  freedom. 

"He  was  present  at  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain,  but 
as  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  sort  of  chaplain,  the  officers 
would  not  allow  him  to  go  into  the  engagement,  and  he 
was  left  with  the  sick  and  baggage.  While  engaged  in  his 
duties  as  a  circuit  preacher,  he  was  taken  prisoner,  some- 
times by  the  British  and  sometimes  by  the  Americans,  but 
never  maltreated  by  either. 

"On  one  occasion  he  was  induced  to  preach  to  a  band 
of  Tories  whose  captain  had  gone  to  procure  arms.  He 
did  so,  and  actually  persuaded  them  to  disperse.  When 
the  captain  returned  with  the  arms  he  found  no  men,  and 
on  being  told  through  whose  influence  his  men  had  dis- 
persed, he  swore  vengeance  against  Bruce.  Not  very  long 
afterwards,  when  he  had  preached  at  the  house  of  a  friend, 
up  rode  the  captain  with  two  of  his  men.  Springing  from 
his  horse  he  rushed  to  the  porch  where  Bruce  was  quietly 
reading,  and  with  horrid  oaths  presented  his  gun  at  his 
breast.  Bruce  caught  the  muzzle  and  a  scuffle  ensued. 
The  captain,  dropping  his  gun,  drew  his  sword  and  made 
a  tremendous  cut  at  his  head,  but  in  its  sweep  the  weapon 
struck  the  rafter  of  the  porch.  Just  at  this  moment  up 
rode  three  Whigs;  the  two  Tories  gave  the  alarm,  and 
Bruce  finding  the  captain  willing  to  be  off,  pushed  him 


Period  of  the  Revolution.  81 

down  the  steps,  sprang  into  the  house  and  shut  the  door. 
The  three  Tories  rode  off  in  quick  time  one  way,  and  the 
Whigs  as  fast  in  another.  As  the  captain  passed  the 
window,  Bruce  shouted,  'Good-by,  Captain !'  In  reply  he 
swore  he  would  kill  him.  A  day  or  two  after,  Bruce 
reached  his  next  appointment,  and  although  his  horse  had 
been  put  up,  and  the  people  had  assembled  for  preaching, 
it  was  so  solemnly  impressed  on  his  mind  that  it  was  his 
duty  to  leave  the  place  immediately,  that,  notwithstand- 
ing the  earnest  remonstrance  of  the  landlord,  he  called  for 
his  horse  and  rode  off,  leaving  an  appointment  for  another 
time.  Among  those  who  had  come  to  the  meeting  was  a 
preacher  of  another  denomination.  Bruce  was  not  more 
than  out  of  sight  when  the  captain's  lieutenant  rode  up 
with  a  file  of  men,  and  inquired  for  the  preacher.  The 
one  who  had  come  to  hear  Bruce  preach  was  pointed  out 
to  them  as  the  only  preacher  present ;  they  instantly  shot 
him  down,  and  rode  off,  bragging  that  Bruce  would  never 
disperse  another  Tory  company."1 

These  incidents  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  the  trying 
times  in  which  the  early  pioneer  was  planting  Methodism 
in  North  Carolina.  They  show  further  where  the  sym- 
pathy of  Philip  Bruce  was  during  this  terrible  conflict.  As 
this  man  of  God  has  had  much  to  do  with  Methodism  in 
this  state,  we  will  speak  more  fully  of  him  as  a  man  and  as 
a  preacher. 

"In  person  Philip  Bruce  was  commanding.  He  was  tall, 
perfectly  straight,  very  grave  and  dignified  in  his  manner ; 

'Bennett's  Memorials,  page  179. 


82  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

his  hair  was  black  and  worn  long,  his  visage  thin,  his  com- 
plexion dark,  and  his  eyes  bright  and  piercing;  his  coun- 
tenance was  open  and  expressive,  his  features  well  devel- 
oped and  indicative  of  a  high  degree  of  intellectual  power. 
In  the  pulpit  he  was  graceful  and  impressive.  His  sermons 
were  usually  short,  but  powerful,  and  he  excelled  in  the 
application  of  gospel  truth.  His  appeals  were  often  irre- 
sistible." Philip  Bruce  was  a  very  remarkable  man,  and  a 
great  preacher.  We  will  cross  his  track  many  times  in 
the  course  of  this  work. 

Coming  back  to  the  evil  effects  of  war,  we  find  that  in 
a  general  way  they  worked  disastrously  to  Methodism  in 
North  Carolina.  The  storm  of  war  left  desolation  in  its 
track.  Many  of  the  societies  were  entirely  broken  up,  and 
others  were  prevented  from  holding  meetings  regularly. 
It  was  very  dangerous  for  the  preachers  to  travel  the  cir- 
cuits. And  frequently  when  they  reached  an  appointment 
the  topic  of  conversation  was  upon  the  great  struggle  that 
was  going  on.  The  people  were  in  constant  dread.  Many 
had  husbands,  brothers,  and  sons  at  the  front,  and  often  at 
church  some  sad  news  was  broken  to  these  anxious  loved 
ones,  which  caused  scenes  of  the  most  painful  character. 
Many  fell  in  battle,  and  never  returned  to  take  their  places 
in  the  Church ;  while  many  others  were  corrupted  by  camp 
life  and  made  shipwreck  of  the  faith,  and  returned  home 
strangers  to  grace.  Its  evil  effects  were  felt  upon  Metho- 
dism in  many  ways;  and  no  section  suffered  more  than 
North  Carolina.  It  was  a  troublous  time  for  the  infant 
Church  that  was  trying  to  plant  itself  in  this  new  field; 
but  it  was  seen  after  the  storm  had  swept  over  that  the 


Period  of  the  Revolution.  83 

tree  of  Methodism  "had  stuck  its  roots  deeper  into  the  soil, 
and  again  budded  and  brought  forth  fruit."  So  while  its 
evil  effects  were  great  at  the  time,  the  Revolution  brought 
no  greater  blessing  in  the  end  to  any  institution  than  it 
did  to  Methodism. 


CHAPTER  V. 

GROWTH   OF  METHODISM   FROM    1780  TO   1 784. 

Asbury  Enters  North  Carolina — Extracts  from  His  Journal.  Yad- 
kin Circuit.  John  Cooper.  Enoch  Matson.  Henry  Ogburn.  New 
Hope.  Dromgoole  and  Lee  Introduce  Methodism  Between  Eden- 
ton  and  Norfolk.     John  Easter. 

When  God  has  a  great  work  to  do,  he  prepares  some 
man  through  which  to  accomplish  his  purposes.  When 
he  was  ready  to  deliver  his  chosen  people,  he  had  Moses 
as  his  leader  in  readiness.  When  he  would  give  the  gos- 
pel to  the  Gentiles,  Paul  was  ready  to  go.  When  the 
whole  religious  world  had  drifted  into  cold,  dead  for- 
malism, John  Wesley,  having  his  heart  rilled  with  spiritual 
life,  said,  "The  world  is  my  parish,"  and  at  once  began  to 
preach  forgiveness  of  sins  and  the  witness  of  the  Spirit. 
A  great  revival  followed.  And  when  England  had  be- 
come a  flame  of  revival  fire,  and  the  Macedonian  cry  was 
going  over  from  America,  Francis  Asbury,  with  others, 
responded,  and  Asbury  soon  became  the  distinguished 
leader  of  the  great  revival  Church  in  America. 

On  the  7th  of  October,  1771,  Francis  Asbury  received 
an  old-fashioned  Methodist  welcome  in  Philadelphia.  He 
began  at  once  to  travel  up  and  down  the  Atlantic  slope 
and  preach  the  gospel  as  understood  by  the  Methodist 
Society.  Soon  he  became  the  "greatest  of  religious  lead- 
ers." He  was  the  founder,  organizer,  and  apostle  of  the 
Methodist  Church  in  the  United  States.  He  traveled 
(84) 


BISHOP    ASBURY. 


Growth  of  Methodism.  85 

thousands  of  miles  every  year,  traveling  almost  constant- 
ly for  fifty-five  years.  During  thirty  years  he  crossed  the 
Alleghany  Mountains  fifty-eight  times.  He  often  slept  in 
the  woods  without  even  the  necessary  food  or  raiment. 
He  says :  "In  the  southern  states  I  have  waded  swamps, 
and  led  my  horse  for  miles,  where  I  took  colds  that 
brought  on  diseases  which  are  now  preying  on  my  system, 
and  must  soon  terminate  in  death."  It  is  estimated  that 
he  traveled  at  least  six  thousand  miles  a  year.  In  four 
years  at  this  rate  he  would  nearly  make  the  circuit  of  the 
globe. 

The  labors  of  Asbury  were  probably  without  example. 
"It  has  been  asserted  by  one  of  the  ex-presidents  of  the 
YVesleyan  Conference — and  the  admission  is  remarkable 
coming  from  that  quarter — that  Bishop  Asbury  was  in 
labors  more  abundant  than  Wesley  himself.  I  see  no 
reason  to  question  the  accuracy  of  Dr.  Bangs's  estimate, 
which  is,  that  Asbury,  during  the  forty-five  years  of  his 
ministry  in  this  country,  delivered  not  less  than  sixteen 
thousand  four  hundred  and  twenty-five  sermons,  besides 
lectures  and  exhortations  innumerable;  that  he  traveled 
during  the  same  time  about  two  hundred  and  seventy 
thousand  miles,  for  the  most  part  on  the  worst  roads,  and 
on  horseback ;  that  he  sat  in  not  less  than  two  hundred  and 
twenty- four  Annual  Conferences ;  and  ordained  more  than 
four  thousand  ministers.  This  is  a  series  of  great  labors, 
to  which  I  doubt  if  the  whole  history  of  Christianity  for 
eighteen  centuries  can  find  a  parallel.  He  found  five  hun- 
dred Methodists  in  the  country  when  he  began  his  minis- 
terial labors ;  at  his  death  he  left  a  flourishing  Church  in 


86  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

all  parts  of  the  land,  with  more  than  two  hundred  and 
eleven  thousand  communicants,  and  served  by  upward  of 
seven  hundred  traveling,  besides  three  thousand  local, 
preachers."1  Besides  all  this,  he  wrote  letters,  stationed 
the  preachers,  was  in  a  new  home  almost  every  night 
where  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  entertain;  and  yet  for 
all  this  travel  and  labor,  in  writing  to  Dr.  Coke,  he  says : 
"All  the  property  I  have  gained  is  two  old  horses,  the 
companions  of  my  toil  six  thousand  if  not  seven  thousand 
miles  a  year.  When  we  have  no  ferryboats,  they  swim 
the  rivers."  He  rode  one  of  the  horses,  and  the  other  car- 
ried his  baggage. 

This  apostle  of  Methodism  in  America  entered  North 
Carolina  on  June  16,  1780.  And  in  order  to  give  the 
reader  a  general  idea  of  the  condition  of  the  state  at  that 
time,  and  the  progress  that  was  being  made,  we  make 
some  extracts  from  his  Journal. 

"Friday,  16th  of  June. — I  crossed  Roanoke  (North 
Carolina)  ;  felt  a  little  better,  though  weak.  We  rode 
near  thirty  miles ;  was  like  to  faint  in  the  carriage,  but  at 
brother  Edwards's  felt  refreshed  and  ease  from  pain. 
.  .  .  Saturday,  17th. — Preached  at  Jones's  barn  to  about 
one  hundred  people.  .  .  .  Sunday,  18th. — I  rode  fif- 
teen miles  to  brother  Bustian's,  and  preached  to  about  five 
hundred  people ;  was  much  led  out  on  Isaiah  lv.  6,  7.  The 
people  were  solemnly  attentive.  .  .  .  Tuesday,  20th. 
— Preached  at  noon  to  fifty  people  On  Titus  ii.  n-14; 
had  some  liberty  among  the  people;  they  were  very  little 

'Dr.  Wightman  in  "Biographical   Sketches." 


Growth  of  Methodism.  87 

affected — but  the  faithful,  for  whom  I  principally  spoke, 
were  tender;  then  rode  over  to  Joseph  John  Williams's,  a 
rich  man  of  this  world,  and  I  hope  sincere.  I  am  kept 
through  mercy. 

"Wednesday,  21st. — I  had  to  ride  alone  better  than 
twelve  miles  to  Mr.  Duke's;  when  I  came  there,  found 
about  thirty  people,  and  they  quite  ignorant.  After 
preaching  I  took  dinner,  and  in  talking  found  three  or 
four  of  them  tenderly  serious ;  gave  them  advice :  the  man 
and  his  wife  have  had  conviction,  and  have  sinned  it  away. 
They  say  it  was  the  disputes  of  the  Baptists  that  turned 
them  aside.  I  then  rode  home  with  a  Mr.  Green,  a  Pres- 
byterian; and  was  much  blessed  in  reading  Watts's  first 
volume  of  sermons. 

"Thursday,  22nd. — I  rode  to  Jenkins's,  and  spoke 
plainly  to  about  eighty  people,  and  found  the  word  was 
fitted  to  their  cases;  met  class;  it  was  a  day  of  peace  to 
me;  the  Lord  was  with  me  at  this  poor  but  good  man's 
house.  .  .  .  There  is  a  hardness  over  the  people 
here :  they  have  had  the  gospel  preached  by  Presbyterians, 
Baptists,  and  Methodists ;  the  two  former  appear  to  be  too 
much  in  the  spirit  of  the  world;  there  is  life  amongst  some 
of  the  Methodists,  and  they  will  grow  because  they  preach 
growing  doctrines.  .  .  .  Friday,  23rd. — I  rode  fif- 
teen miles,  preached,  prayed,  and  sung  near  two  hours; 
ate  a  little  about  four  o'clock,  and  preached  at  Nutbush 
Creek  Chapel  (a  little  log  house,  about  twenty-five  feet 
long  and  twenty  wide)  to  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
people;  here  I  found  a  broken  society.  Rode  home  with 
Dr.  King;  his  wife  was  in  Society.    I  slept  in  peace,  and 


88  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

rose  about  five  o'clock ;  my  heart  is  with  God !  Glory  be 
to  thee,  O  Lord !  I  had  too  mean  an  opinion  of  Carolina ; 
it  is  a  much  better  country,  and  the  people  live  much 
better,  than  I  expected  from  the  information  given  me. 

"Saturday,  24th. — Though  the  weather  was  extremely 
hot,  I  yet  weak  in  body  rode  to  Colonel  Edmund  Taylor's  ; 
and  at  the  schoolhouse  spoke  to  about  seventy  people,  on 
1  Peter  iv.  18.  Afterwards  was  kindly  entertained  at 
Colonel  Taylor's.  They  were  for  ordinances  here,  though 
not  heated.  Sunday,  25th. — Rode  six  miles  to  the  Tab- 
ernacle ;  about  four  hundred  people,  rich  and  poor,  at- 
tended ;  had  very  little  liberty  in  speaking — the  people  very 
insensible.  I  think  these  people  must  be  awakened  by 
judgments,  for  it  appears  the  gospel  will  not  do  it.  I 
spoke  near  two  hours  to  little  purpose ;  held  a  love  feast ; 
all  the  friends  were  stirred  up.  Then  rode  eight  miles, 
lodged  over  Nutbush  Creek  at  brother  Reeve's. 

"Monday,  26. —  ...  I  preached  at  Turner's. 
...  I  had  liberty  in  the  word ;  the  hearers  were  stirred 
up;  many  came  to  hear  who  do  not,  will  not,  attend  the 
other  preachers.  ...  I  had  in  both  meetings  eighty 
or  ninety  people.  .  .  .  The  Baptists  appear  to  be  very 
dead;  their  own  people  will  not  attend  only  on  Sabbath 
days.  The  people  are  taken  away,  and  times  are  so  diffi- 
cult that  they  appear  to  be  under  a  judicial  hardness,  hav- 
ing heard  so  much  and  felt  so  little.  Tuesday,  27. — 
Preached  at  William  Price's  ;  many  came  to  hear. 
Rode  to  Haw  Tree ;  many  came  to  hear ;  my  text  was  1 
Peter  i.  5,  13.  I  had  great  freedom,  and  held  a  love  feast; 
the  people  were  affected.    There  is  the  most  religion  here 


Growth  of  Methodism.  89 

of  any  place  in  the  circuit,  and  yet  nothing  great.  I  was 
much  refreshed,  rode  through  the  woods  a  blind  path,  to  a 
friend's.  I  am  always  upon  the  run,  though  kept  in  peace ; 
was  grieved  to  see  the  distress  of  the  people — some  taken 
out  to  war,  others  expecting  it  every  day. 

"Wednesday,  28. — Rode  to  Todd's,  six  miles :  I  am  de- 
jected to  see  so  little  religion.  ...  I  preached  at 
Todd's  to  about  seventy  people,  but  very  insensible;  met 
class,  talked  a  little,  then  gave  the  people  liberty  to  speak 
of   the   goodness   of   God.      .      .     .      Thursday,    29. — 

.  .  I  rode  to  widow  Pegram's ;  had  about  sixty  peo- 
ple, it  being  a  muster  day ;  but  these  were  happy  souls.  As 
soon  as  we  began  to  sing,  the  power  of  God  came  over  us. 
.  .  .  Then  rode  to  Captain  Burrows's :  the  people  in 
many  places  are  but  children  in  understanding. 
I  preached  at  Burrows's ;  but  fear  there  is  very  little  re- 
ligion in  this  place :  I  was  uncomfortable.  The  congrega- 
tion about  sixty  people,  but  they  were  very  dead ;  their 
minds  and  mouths  full  of  the  world.  I  came  off  to  the 
widow  Ellis's,  and  found  the  Lord  was  there. 

"Saturday,  July  1,  1780. —  ...  I  preached  at  the 
widow  Ellis's  on  Heb.  x.  21,  24.  I  was  fervent,  had  lib- 
erty, and  spoke  as  searchingly  as  I  could  to  saints  and 
sinners.  Here  Edward  Dromgoole  met  me ;  and  I  ap- 
pointed James  Mallory  for  Norfolk  Circuit,  as  there  have 
been  a  few  people  kept  together,  notwithstanding  the  ab- 
sence of  the  preachers.  Sunday,  2. — I  rode  to  Lindsay's, 
a  rough  road ;  had  about  seventy  people ;  and  spoke  on  2 
Cor.  iv.  4,  6.  Now,  I  have  done  in  this  circuit ;  the  Lord 
has  blessed  me  in  body  and  soul.    To-morrow  I  am  going 


90  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

to  Tar  River.  .  .  .  Monday,  3. —  ...  I  set  out 
for  Tar  River :  after  riding  about  five  miles,  I  was  told  I 
could  not  cross  Bear  Swamp;  but  by  the  guidance  of  a 
Baptist  friend,  came  through  that,  and  two  very  deep 
creeks.  Afterwards,  I  left  my  guide;  we  had  traveled  a 
few  miles  together,  and  talked  in  a  friendly  manner.  Rode 
three  miles  farther,  and  was  stopped  by  what  was  known 
as  Ben's  Creek;  the  bridge  was  gone,  and  a  man  said  it 
was  ten  feet  deep;  I  then  made  for  Falcom's  bridge  on 
Little  Fishing  Creek;  but  the  low  ground  was  covered, 
and  no  bridge  to  be  seen ;  lodged  at  Mr.  Falcom's,  was 
known,  and  kindly  entertained. 

"Tuesday,  4. — I  rode  by  Miller's  Cross  Roads  to  Great 
Fishing  Creek,  a  rough  way,  but  got  safe  along,  and  was 
comforted  in  mind ;  crossed  Great  Fishing  Creek ;  stopped 
at  Sandy  Creek,  where  I  found  a  kind  old  man,  brother 
Howell;  lodged  with  him  and  spent  my  time  peaceably. 
Wednesday,  5. — Set  out  to  Green  Hill's;  but  with  diffi- 
culty I  got  along;  but  this  was  not  all,  for  in  going  the 
distance  of  four  miles  I  rode  eight,  and  was  tried  to  pur- 
pose ;  on  account  of  the  waters,  I  have  ridden  about  thirty 
miles  out  of  my  way ;  and  am  now  twenty-six  miles  from 
the  place  of  preaching  to-morrow.  ...  I  was  very 
kindly  entertained  and  blessed  with  fellowship  at  Green 
Hill's;  but  never  met  with  so  many  difficulties  as  I  have 
met  with  in  this  circuit;  I  hope  for  the  greater  blessings; 
am  kept  by  grace,  and  enjoy  health  in  this  hot  weather, 
though  so  far  to  the  south ;  have  peace  of  soul,  bless  the 
Lord. 

"Thursday,  6. — Rode  twenty-six  miles ;  exceeding  hot, 


Growth  of  Methodism.  91 

and  my  horse  suffered  greatly.  When  I  came  to  the  place 
about  seventy  people  were  met,  singing  and  praying.  I 
spoke  on  Heb.  iv.  13,  16;  had  not  much  strength  of  soul 
or  body.  The  people  appeared  inattentive,  and  their  minds 
full  of  the  present  troubles.  Saturday,  8. — Rode  to  Cy- 
press Chapel ;  had  liberty  in  speaking  to  about  one  hundred 
people.  Here  James  O'Kelly  met  me;  he  spoke,  and  ap- 
peared to  be  a  warm-hearted,  good  man ;  but  he  was  trou- 
bled with  the  people  about  these  times.  At  Ross's  I  spoke 
on  Rev.  xxii.  10,  19.  I  had  an  opening;  and  one  Lindsay, 
an  exhorter,  spoke ;  an  honest,  zealous  man :  he  has  lost 
his  property  by  these  times.  I  have  ridden  near  one  hun- 
dred miles  this  week ;  and  as  severe,  constant  hot  weather 
as  I  ever  knew. 

"Sunday,  9. — Preached  at  Green  Hill's  to  about  four 
hundred  souls  on  1  Thess.  ii.  4.  The  subject  was  new,  the 
people  dead.  I  had  not  much  liberty.  James  O'Kelly 
spoke  on,  'Have  ye  understood  all  these  things?'  He 
raised  high  and  was  very  affecting,  but  to  little  purpose. 
There  are  evils  here ;  the  meeting  not  solemn ;  the  women 
appeared  to  be  full  of  dress,  the  men  full  of  news.  These 
people  are  gospel  slighters.  I  fear  some  heavy  stroke  will 
come  on  them.  James  O'Kelly  and  myself  enjoyed  and 
comforted  each  other;  this  dear  man  rose  at  midnight, 
and  prayed  very  devoutly  for  me  and  himself.  He  cries, 
'Give  me  children,  or  I  die' ;  but  I  believe  no  preaching  or 
preacher  will  do  much  good  at  present.  Monday,  10. — 
.  .  .  I  made  my  journey  to  Roger  Jones's.  About 
sixty  people;  God  was  with  us;  the  people  spoke  of  the 
goodness  of  the  Lord.     .     .     . 


92  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

"Wednesday,  12. — I  rode  to  Cooper's  upon  Tar  River; 
had  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  people;  I  was  under 
discouragement  before  I  began,  but  the  Lord  helped  me. 
These  people  have  heard  Baptists  and  Presbyterians,  but 
I  fear  to  little  purpose.  God  assisted  me  to  deliver  my 
own  soul.  I  rode  to  a  friend's,  and  had  great  difficulty  on 
the  way ;  but  I  am  kept  from  murmuring ;  while  laboring 
for  other  souls,  my  own  is  blessed — have  felt  nothing  con- 
trary to  love  for  some  days  past.  Thursday,  13. — ■ 
.  .  .  Then  rode  to  Captain  Pope's;  I  am  distressed 
with  the  troubles  of  the  times;  and  hear  there  are  great 
commotions.  Friday,  14. — I  was  comforted  with  brother 
Pope,  a  lame,  wise,  and  pious  man ;  he  has  built  a  preach- 
ing-house almost  himself.  Who  can  tell  what  a  man  may 
do  under  divine  assistance?  He  makes  a  few  cards, 
teaches  a  few  children,  and  says  he  lives  as  well  as  ever 
he  did  in  his  life. 

"Saturday,  15. — After  spending  some  time  in  the  chapel 
alone,  I  set  out  to  Paschal's,  about  six  o'clock;  I  came  in 
before  twelve.  I  spoke  very  close  and  plain  on  Acts  xxvi. 
18,  to  about  thirty  people,  and  had  but  little  faith  for  them. 
Rode  on  to  B.  Hartfield's,  about  twenty  miles,  much 
fatigued  with  the  badness  of  the  road.  Monday,  17. — I 
set  out  about  five  o'clock,  and  rode  to  Crawford's  upon 
Neuse  River,  about  twenty  miles,  alone;  was  tried  at 
times.  .  .  .  Tuesday,  18. — Rode  to  Kimborough's, 
sixteen  miles;  crossed  Neuse  River.  Many  Baptists  to 
hear ;  they  were  serious,  and  I  spoke  feelingly,  and  aimed 
at  their  hearts.  I  met  brother  Poythress,  much  cast  down ; 
the  people  are  lifeless  in  religion.     Thursday,  20. — Rode 


HOUSES    OF    THE    EARLY     SETTLERS. 


Growth  of  Methodism,  93 

twelve  miles  to  Tigiial  Jones's;  hilly,  rocky  roads;  about 
eighty  people  to  hear.  While  I  was  speaking,  General 
Hugine  came  in,  and  heard  part  of  my  sermon;  he  is  a 
polite,  well-behaved,  conversable  gentleman ;  we  dined  to- 
gether. After  dinner  I  set  out  on  my  journey;  we  came 
to  a  desperate  creek  called  Northeast,  in  Chatham  county, 
where  the  bridge  was  carried  away  by  the  freshet ;  we  had 
to  go  through  among  rocks,  holes,  and  logs;  I  was  af- 
frighted; yea,  it  was  wonderful  that  the  carriage  did  not 
overset ;  brother  Poythress  said  the  horse  was  down  twice 
and  covered  all  but  his  head ;  however,  the  water  kept  up 
the  carriage,  and  we  came  safe  through  all  our  difficulties, 
to  brother  Merritt's.  .  .  .  Here  I  met  brother  Allen, 
a  promising  young  man,  but  a  little  of  a  dissenter. 

"Sunday,  23. — We  passed  Haw  River,  wide  but  shal- 
low, bad  going  down  and  coming  up;  they  took  the  car- 
riage over  by  hand;  then  we  had  to  travel  the  pathless 
woods  and  rocks  again ;  after  much  trouble,  and  fear,  and 
dejection,  we  came  to  Taylor's  preaching-house,  where 
they  were  pressing  horses,  as  we  expected.  ...  I 
have  traveled  thirty  miles,  and  could  not  avoid  traveling 
on  Sunday,  for  I  had  not  where  to  stay ;  rode  to  brother 
Beck's,  and  was  much  fatigued ;  found  brother  Beck  sick ; 
he  has  a  gracious  wife.  Monday,  24. —  ...  I  crossed 
Rocky  River  about  ten  miles  from  Haw  River;  it  was 
rocky,  sure  enough ;  it  is  in  Chatham  county,  North  Caro- 
lina. I  can  see  little  else  but  cabins  in  these  parts,  built 
with  poles;  and  such  a  country  as  no  man  ever  saw  for  a 
carriage.  I  narrowly  escaped  being  overset;  was  much 
affrighted,  but  Providence  keeps  me.  and  I  trust  will.     I 


94  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

crossed  Deep  River  in  a  flatboat,  and  the  poor  ferryman 
sinner  swore  because  I  had  not  a  silver  shilling  to  give  him. 
.  .  .  Sunday,  30. — Preached  at  Neuse  preaching-house 
to  about  four  hundred  people ;  had  not  much  liberty. 
These  people  have  had  an  abundance  of  preaching  from  the 
Baptists  and  Methodists,  still  they  are  hardened.  .  .  . 
I  have  lately  passed  through  Cumberland,  Chatham,  Or- 
ange, and  Wake  counties,  in  North  Carolina;  brother 
Bailey  has  agreed  to  give  up  all  business  and  travel  with 
me,  and  go  to  labor  in  the  north.  B.  Allen  and  E.  Bailey 
spoke  at  Neuse  after  me.  I  hope  some  good  was  done,  and 
the  work  will  survive.  The  people  in  these  parts  have  been 
hurt  with  Calvinism ;  our  first  preachers  moved  their  pas- 
sions, and  they  hastily  and  improperly  joined ;  and  after- 
wards they  dropped  off  from  Society,  and  there  was  a 
great  falling  away.  The  ordinance  places  seem  very  bar- 
ren. .  .  .  Wednesday,  August  2. — Rode  seven  miles 
to  Hillsborough  and  preached  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Cortney, 
a  tavern,  to  about  two  hundred  people,  on  Hosea  x.  12,  'It 
is  time  to  seek  the  Lord.'  They  were  decent  and  behaved 
well ;  I  was  much  animated,  and  spoke  loud  and  long." 

In  this  itinerary  Mr.  Asbury  has  traveled  through  Ro- 
anoke, Tar  River,  and  New  Hope  circuits.  On  this  jour- 
ney he  did  not  go  as  far  as  the  Yadkin  Circuit,  which  had 
just  been  established  this  year,  1780.  It  was  formed  from 
the  Pittsylvania  Circuit  with  twenty-one  members,  and 
Andrew  Yeargan  was  appointed  its  preacher.  It  extended 
up  the  Yadkin  River  to  the  Blue  Ridge,  up  the  Catawba 
to  its  source,  and  across  the  Blue  Ridge  into  Buncombe 
county,  and  as  far  south  as  the  South  Carolina  line.    Dur- 


Growth  of  Methodism.  95 

ing  this  year  Mr.  Yeargan  preached  in  the  neighborhood 
of  John  Doub's  house.  He  and  his  wife  belonged  to  the 
Dutch  Reformed  Church ;  but  hearing  of  the  Methodists, 
they  went  to  hear  them  preach,  and  soon  joined  the  So- 
ciety. Their  house  was  not  only  thrown  open  for  the  en- 
tertainment of  the  Methodist  ministry,  but  became  one  of 
the  regular  preaching  places  on  the  circuit  which  was  the 
beginning  of  Doub's  Chapel  in  Forsyth  county.1  John 
Doub  was  the  father  of  the  late  Rev.  Peter  Doub,  D.D. 

Andrew  Yeargan  also  preached  at  another  private  house 
eight  or  ten  miles  from  John  Doub's,  and  at  George  Mc- 
Knight's,  near  Clemmonsville,  where  an  Annual  Confer- 
ence was  held  in  1789,  and  one  in  1791.  No  doubt  he 
preached  at  the  Jersey  Meetinghouse,  and  perhaps  ex- 
tended his  labors  down  the  Yadkin  as  far  as  the  mouth  of 
the  Uwharrie  River.  Tradition  says  that  while  he  was 
preaching  at  Beal's  Meetinghouse,  seven  or  eight  miles 
northwest  of  Mocksville,  he  became  very  earnest  and  zeal- 
ous during  the  sermon,  walked  down  into  the  congrega- 
tion and  laid  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  an  old  man,  say- 
ing, "My  friend,  don't  you  want  to  go  to  heaven?"  To 
which  the  frightened  man  replied :  "Man,  for  God's  sake, 
go  off  and  let  me  alone;  I  don't  live  about  here,  I  came 
from  away  up  in  the  mountains." 

The  Yadkin  Circuit  does  not  appear  on  the  minutes  for 
1 78 1,  and  in  1782  it  is  reported  with  Pittsylvania,  the  two 
reporting  a  membership  of  four  hundred  and  ninety-one. 


'Autobiography  of  Peter  Doub,  Manuscript;   Rev.  M.  L.  Wood, 
D.D.,  Manuscript. 


96  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

This  year  it  had  for  its  preachers  John  Cooper,  Enoch 
Matson,  and  George  Kimble. 

John  Cooper  commenced  his  labors  as  an  itinerant  in 
1775.  He  was  "a  man  of  solemn,  fixed  countenance,  who 
had  suffered  much  persecution."  He  married  a  Miss  Con- 
nor, who  was  converted  under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Pedi- 
cord,  and  having  a  clear  religious  experience,  she  greatly 
assisted  her  husband  in  his  work.  The  father  of  John 
Cooper,  who  was  possessed  of  considerable  property,  en- 
deavored to  buy  off  his  son  by  telling  him  "he  would  make 
him  a  gentleman  by  bestowing  his  property  upon  him  if 
he  would  abandon  the  Methodists,  but  if  he  united  with 
them  he  would  disinherit  him."  The  son  replied  by  say- 
ing, "I  intend  to  be  a  Methodist  and  a  gentleman  too,"1 
in  both  of  which  he  succeeded.  Another  one  of  our  his- 
torians, in  speaking  of  the  opposition  of  his  family,  says 
his  father  seeing  him  once  upon  his  knees,  in  a  chamber, 
threw  a  shovel  of  hot  embers  upon  him,  and  afterwards 
expelled  him  from  his  home.  His  trials  only  confirmed 
him  in  his  faith ;  he  joined  the  itinerant  band  of  evangel- 
ists, and  lived  and  died  in  their  ranks.2  He  finally  moved 
west,  and  did  good  work  in  planting  Methodism  in  that 
new  and  wild  country. 

Enoch  Matson  traveled  only  for  a  few  years,  and  was 
expelled  from  the  ministry  in  1788.  Very  little  is  known 
of  George  Kimble,  except  that  he  was  sent  to  the  far  north 


1  "History  of  the  Rise  of  Methodism  in  America,"  published  in 
1854  by  John  Lednum,  page  164. 

:  "History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,"  Stevens,  Vol.  I., 
page  375- 


Growth  of  Methodism.  97 

after  leaving  the  Yadkin  Circuit.  The  report  of  1783 
shows  348  members,  a  gain  in  three  years  of  327  This 
was  a  wonderful  growth,  considering  the  fact  that  this  was 
in  every  sense  missionary  ground,  being  destitute  of  even 
a  church  edifice  or  organization.  Much  of  this  growth  is 
due  to  the  efficiency  of  Henry  Ogburn,  who  labored  on  the 
circuit  during  1783,  assisted  by  William  Cannon  and  Lem- 
uel Green.  Ogburn  was  born  in  Mecklenburg  county,  Vir- 
ginia, and  was  converted  in  the  great  revival  of  1776.  He 
labored  with  great  zeal  and  success  for  ten  years  as  an  itin- 
erant. He  was  sent  as  a  pioneer  to  the  Kentucky  Circuit, 
and  amid  savage  tribes  he  planted  Methodism,  preaching 
to  the  hardy  settlers,  and  sowing  seeds  from  which  rose 
the  Methodist  Church  in  Kentucky. 

In  1783  Guilford  and  Salisbury  circuits  were  formed, 
Salisbury  from  the  Yadkin  Circuit,  and  Guilford  being 
taken  principally  from  the  New  Hope  Circuit.  At  the 
Conference  in  1783  Yadkin  had  348  members,  Salisbury 
30,  and  Guilford  314,  making  a  total  of  692.  So  at  the 
close  of  the  war  Methodism  in  this  section,  in  the  face  of 
all  opposition  and  difficulty,  has  been  planted  and  is  begin- 
ning to  take  root  in  a  soil  that  is  well  adapted  to  its  growth 
and  usefulness. 

New  Hope  Circuit  has  already  been  referred  to  as  being 
formed  in  1778.  Its  boundaries  are  hard  to  trace.  From 
hints  obtained  from  different  sources  it  must  have 
embraced  some  parts  of  Granville,  Wake,  Cumber- 
land, Chatham,  and  Person  counties.  Methodism  ex- 
isted in  some  parts  of  this  circuit  from  the  time  it 
entered  the  state.  When  Mr.  Asbury  visited  North 
7 


98  Methodism  in  North  Carolina, 

Carolina  in  1780,  to  quiet  the  excitement  among  the 
preachers  concerning  the  administration  of  the  sacra- 
ments, he  traveled  through  Wake,  Orange,  and  Cum- 
berland; showing  that  Methodism  had  already  been 
planted  in  these  counties.  Among  those  who  entertained 
the  preachers  at  this  early  date,  and  who  opened  their 
houses  for  the  preaching  of  the  word,  are  Kimborough  and 
Abraham  Hill ;  Tignal  Jones  and  James  Hinton ;  Merritt 
Crump  and  Taylor ;  R.  Kennon,  White,  and  Harris ;  West, 
Trice,  and  Roades.  Most  of  the  preaching  was  done  in 
private  houses,  though  Mr.  Asbury  mentions  several  chap- 
els and  schoolhouses  where  he  preached,  and  two  meeting- 
houses, those  of  Neuse  and  Taylor's. 

The  circuit  was  served  during  the  time  of  which  we 
write  by  such  men  as  James  O'Kelly,  Philip  Adams,  Fran- 
cis Poythress,  John  Major,  Philip  Bruce,  James  White, 
and  Henry  Willis.  One  of  the  first  preachers  to  labor  in 
this  section  was  Beverly  Allen.  According  to  his  state- 
ment to  Mr.  Wesley,  he  labored  here  during  1778.1  This 
corroborates  Jesse  Lee  where  he  says  the  New  Hope  Cir- 
cuit was  formed  in  1778.  Beverly  Allen,  writing  from 
Charleston,  May  4,  1791,  to  Mr.  Wesley,  says:  "In  May, 
1778,  I  began  to  preach  the  gospel.  During  the  summer  I 
only  preached  about  home,  but  being  earnestly  pressed  by 
the  circuit  preachers  to  travel,  after  many  sore  conflicts  I 
consented  to  ride  in  New  Hope  Circuit  in  North  Carolina, 
including  my  own  place  and  some  people  in  the  county  of 


*For  further  information,  see  Shipp's  "History  of  Methodism  in 
South  Carolina,"  page  249. 


Growth  of  Methodism.  99 

Wake.  During  the  winter  we  had  a  considerable  work  in 
the  circuit,  for  brother  James  O'Kelly  traveled  as  my  as- 
sistant, whose  labors  were  greatly  owned  of  God.  Num- 
bers joined  our  Society,  and  many  professed  faith  in  the 
Redeemer.  .     .     Since  that  time  a  circuit  has  been 

formed,  now  known  by  the  name  of  Bladen  Circuit.  Being 
unable  to  travel  at  large,  I  spent  most  of  the  summer 
(1780)  on  New  Hope  Circuit  and  on  Bladen,  during 
which  time  we  had  some  happy  seasons;  but  the  troubles 
of  the  war  began  so  to  affect  the  people  that  I  was  obliged 
to  retire  to  Virginia  in  the  beginning  of  the  winter." 

Dr.  Shipp  says  the  preachers  on  the  Bladen  Circuit  in 
1791  found  the  names  of  the  New  Hope  missionaries  still 
fresh  in  the  memory  of  the  people,  and  they  conversed 
with  those  who  had  listened  with  delight  to  the  preaching 
of  James  O'Kelly,  and  had  been  received  into  Society  by 
Philip  Bruce,  who  was  on  the  New  Hope  Circuit  in  1780. 
So  that  the  circuit  must  have  embraced  some  parts  of  the 
Cape  Fear  section. 

Having  traced  the  course  of  Methodism  from  the  Ro- 
anoke section  westward  to  the  Yadkin  Valley,  and  even 
beyond  the  Blue  Ridge,  let  us  now  glance  at  its  introduc- 
tion into  the  extreme  eastern  part  of  the  state. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1782,  Rev.  Caleb  Pedicord,  the 
presiding  elder,  sent  Edward  Dromgoole  and  Jesse  Lee 
to  eastern  Carolina,  in  order  to  travel  through  that  section 
and  plan  a  circuit  if  the  outlook  was  sufficiently  hopeful. 
After  encountering  many  difficulties  on  their  journey, 
they  reached  Edenton  on  December  1st,  1782.  From 
Edenton  they  made  a  preaching  tour  through  Pasquotank 


ioo  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

and  a  part  of  Camden  county,  as  far  as  Norfolk  county, 
Virginia;  returning  through  Currituck  and  the  counties 
bordering  upon  the  Pasquotank  and  Perquimans  rivers. 
During  this  trip  they  held  religious  meetings  in  nineteen 
different  places.  Very  few  had  ever  heard  the  gospel 
preached  by  Methodists  before  hearing  it  from  these  elo- 
quent men  of  God.  As  one  of  the  objects  of  their  mission 
was  to  establish  a  new  circuit,  after  making  this  tour  they 
drew  the  plan  for  Camden  Circuit.  The  new  circuit,  how- 
ever, appears  on  the  minutes  for  1783  as  Pasquotank,  but 
in  1784  Camden  appears  for  the  first  time,  and  it  remained 
on  the  list  of  appointments  in  the  Virginia  Conference  for 
many  years. 

They  began  their  trip  from  Edenton,  and  were  perhaps 
the  first  Methodist  preachers  to  enter  that  town.  Rev. 
Mr.  Pettigrew  was  pastor  of  the  Established  Church  here, 
built  a  long  time  previously.  Mr.  Pettigrew  was  consid- 
ered a  good  man  among  the  class  to  which  he  belonged.1 
He  was  friendly  to  the  Methodists,  and  received  these 
itinerants  kindly  and  permitted  them  to  preach  to  an  at- 
tentive congregation. 

Leaving  Edenton,  they  pursued  their  journey  in  order 
to  find  others  who  were  willing  to  hear  the  word  of  life. 

1  The  following  anecdote  has  come  down  of  a  predecessor  of  Mr. 
Pettigrew.  He  paid  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  his  herring  fishery, 
for  which  he  was  noted  more  than  for  his  piety.  One  Sunday  morn- 
ing the  following  lines  stared  him  in  the  face  from  the  door  of  the 

church: 

"A  very  fine  church, 

With  a  very  tall  steeple, 

A  herring- catching  parson, 

And  a  wicked  set  of  people." 


Growth  of  Methodism.  ioi 

They  spent  the  night  with  a  Quaker,  the  plainness  of 
whose  speech  impressed  Mr.  Lee,  who  was  quite  a  young 
man  just  starting  in  the  itinerancy.  After  traveling  all 
day,  and  night  drawing  near,  they  rode  up  to  the  house  of 
the  Quaker  just  referred  to,  and  asked  if  they  could  tarry 
with  him  that  night;  to  which  he  replied,  "If  you  choose 
to  get  down,  I  will  not  turn  you  away."  The  blunt  reply 
confounded  them  for  a  moment ;  but  there  was  no  time  for 
ceremony,  so  they  dismounted,  went  in,  and  tried  to  make 
themselves  welcome.  And  indeed  they  found  he  was  not 
lacking  in  that  hospitality  for  which  his  sect  has  ever 
been  noted,  but  his  peculiarity  was  not  understood.  Be- 
fore the  guests  retired  to  bed,  they  begged  permission  to 
pray  in  the  family.  "If  you  have  a  mind  to  pray,"  said 
the  Quaker,  "I  will  leave  the  room" ;  and  accordingly  he 
went  out,  closing  the  door  after  him,  and  left  them  to  en- 
joy their  devotions  in  their  own  way. 

The  following  extracts  from  Jesse  Lee's  Journal  will 
be  interesting  to  some,  and  will  show  more  distinctly  their 
movements  and  the  success  of  their  mission. 

"Wednesday,  4th  of  December,  1782,  we  rode  early  in 
the  morning,  crossed  Pasquotank  River,  and  came  to  Mr. 
Jones's,  at  the  plank  bridge.  A  little  after  dark,  when  the 
people,  hearing  that  we  were  preachers,  came  and  re- 
quested us  to  preach,  and  notice  being  given,  we  had  about 
thirty  people  collected  in  the  course  of  an  hour,  and  E. 
Dromgoole  preached  to  them.  The  people  were  solemn, 
and  appeared  to  be  desirous  for  us  to  come  amongst  them 
again,  as  they  had  but  little  opportunity  of  hearing 
preaching. 


102  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

"Saturday,  7th,  we  attended  at  brother  Halstead's, 
Norfolk  county,  Virginia.  E.  Dromgoole  and  I  gave  an 
exhortation.  Some  of  these  people  had  formerly  been  in 
Society  with  the  Methodists,  and  the  circuit  preachers 
came  regularly  among  them;  but  during  the  Revolution- 
ary War  the  preachers  left  them,  and  they  were  without 
preaching  for  about  five  years ;  but  they  waited  and  prayed 
for  the  preachers  to  come  among  them  again,  and  for 
some  time  they  have  been  favored  with  regular  preaching. 

"Sunday,  8th.— At  the  Northwest  Brick  Church  E. 
Dromgoole  preached  to  a  large  concourse  of  people,  who 
were  very  attentive,  and  somewhat  affected.  I  was  pleased 
with  the  congregation. 

"Tuesday,  10th. — We  came  to  an  old  church  where  E. 
Dromgoole  preached,  and  I  exhorted;  we  had  a  profit- 
able time  together.  We  then  went  to  Colonel  Williams's,1 
and  stayed  all  night.  The  colonel  is  a  man  who  fears  God, 
and  was  well  pleased  at  our  calling  to  see  him. 

"Friday,  13th. — E.  Dromgoole  preached  at  a  place 
called  Indian  Town,  and  I  gave  an  exhortation;  we  had 
a  large  house  full  of  attentive  hearers ;  my  soul  was 
much  comforted  at  that  time,  and  I  felt  glad  to  be  there. 

"We  then  left  Currituck  county;  crossed  North  River; 
dined  at  Mrs.  Lamb's,  who  was  a  Baptist,  who  treated 
us  kindly.  We  then  came  to  General  Gregory's,  and  at 
night  in  his  dwelling  house  we  had  a  large  congregation, 
although  the  weather  was  very  cold. 

"Saturday,    14th. — We   came   to    Sawyer's,    and    held 

lrThis  is  Colonel  Hallowell  Williams,  who  entertained  Joseph  Pil- 
moor,  referred  to  in  another  chapter. 


Growth  of  Methodism.  103 

meeting;  we  had  a  solemn  time,  and  I  believe  good  was 
done.  Sunday,  15th. — At  River  Bridge,  where  we  had 
a  large  company  of  well-behaved  people  to  hear  the  word 
of  eternal  life;  it  was  a  solemn  and  profitable  time. 

"Wednesday,  18th. — E.  Dromgoole  preached  at  Yeo- 
pin  Church,  to  a  large  congregation  of  attentive  hearers; 
we  then  rode  home  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pettigrew  near 
Edenton,  and  spent  the  night  with  him.  Our  journey  in 
the  lowlands  from  Edenton  to  Norfolk  county  in  Virginia, 
and  back  again,  has  taken  sixteen  days,  in  which  time  we 
have  had  nineteen  meetings,  chiefly  among  people  who 
were  not  acquainted  with  the  Methodists ;  but  the  general 
wish  was  that  we  should  return  again;  and  we  so  far  suc- 
ceeded in  our  plan  as  to  form  a  circuit,  which  was  called 
Camden.  I  felt  thankful  to  God  for  the  privilege  of 
visiting  that  strange  people,  and  I  had  no  doubt  but 
our  labors  were  acceptable  to  God,  and  profitable  to  the 
people."1 

In  1783  the  following  new  circuits  were  formed  in 
North  Carolina :  Guilford,  Caswell,  Salisbury,  Marsh, 
Bertie,  and  Pasquotank.  This  shows  how  rapidly  Meth- 
odism was  occupying  the  field.  In  seven  years,  in  the 
midst  of  the  war,  and  persecution  on  every  hand,  it  had 
been  planted  from  the  seacoast  in  the  east  to  the  towering 
mountains  of  the  west,  having  in  North  Carolina  2,339 
members  in  Society.  The  appointments  for  1783  were  as 
follows :  Yadkin,  Henry  Ogburn,  William  Cannon,  and 
Lemuel  Green;  Caswell,  Peter  Moriarty  and  Jesse  Lee; 

1  "Memoir  of  Jesse  Lee,"  by  Minton  Thrift,  1823,  pages  46-48. 


104  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Guilford,  Samuel  Dudley  and  James  Gibbins;  Holston, 
Jeremiah  Lambert;  New  Hope,  Henry  Willis;  Marsh, 
Philip  Bruce ;  Salisbury,  Beverly  Allen,  James  Foster,  and 
James  Hinton ;  Tar  River,  Ira  Ellis  and  Joshua  Worley ; 
Roanoke,  John  Easter  and  William  Damaron ;  Bertie,  Ed- 
ward Morris  and  John  Baldwin.  In  this  list  of  appoint- 
ments there  are  three  men,  the  merits  of  either  one  of 
which  would  require  a  volume  to  record  his  labors  and 
victories  in  the  cause  of  his  Lord.  I  refer  to  Jesse  Lee, 
Philip  Bruce,  and  John  Easter.  The  last  was  laboring 
this  year  on  the  historic  Roanoke  Circuit. 

It  is  supposed  that  John  Easter  was  born  in  Mecklen- 
burg county,  Virginia.  His  parents  were  among  the  first 
fruits  of  Methodism  in  that  section  of  the  state.  From 
this  family  "Easter's  meetinghouse,"  one  of  the  oldest 
preaching  places  in  Mecklenburg  Circuit,  took  its  name. 
Their  house  was  the  home  of  the  early  preachers,  and  two 
of  their  sons,  John  and  Thomas,  entered  the  itinerancy. 
The  sons  may  have  caught  their  flaming  zeal  from  the 
example  of  their  father,  for  he  was  a  man  full  of  faith 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  "When  I  preached  at  Easter's 
in  1799,"  says  Rev.  James  Patterson,  himself  a  gospel 
pioneer,  "the  good  old  man  got  his  soul  so  full  of  the  love 
of  God  that  he  overflowed,  and  he  praised  God  and  shouted 
until  his  frail  body  could  scarcely  contain  his  enraptured 
spirit.  His  lamp  was  not  only  burning,  but  was  in  a  full 
blaze,  his  wings  plumed,  and  nothing  prevented  him  from 
soaring  to  the  realms  above  but  the  casket  of  dust  which 
contained  the  immortal  spirit." 

Dr.   Bennett  says :   "Trained  by  such  a   father,  John 


Growth  of  Methodism.  105 

Easter  went  forth  with  the  dew  of  youth  on  his  brow  to 
toil  for  souls.  Never  did  a  man  work  with  greater  zeal 
and  with  greater  success.  Ten  years  he  went  forth  day 
and  night,  in  all  seasons  and  in  all  places,  calling  sinners 
to  repentance ;  and  then,  with  failing  health  and  shattered 
constitution,  he  was  compelled  to  leave  the  field  ill  which 
he  longed  to  live  and  die.  Beyond  all  doubt,  John  Easter 
was  the  most  powerful  hortatory  preacher  of  his  day.  His 
word  was  like  a  sharp  sword  piercing  through  flesh  and 
bones  and  marrow.  His  faith  was  transcendent,  his  ap- 
peals irresistible,  his  prayers  like  talking  to  God  face  to 
face.  He  lived  and  moved  in  a  flame  of  love.  A  heavenly 
fervor  dwelt  in  his  heart,  breathed  in  his  words,  and 
beamed  in  his  eyes.  Plain,  unlettered,  simple  in  style, 
almost  rude  of  speech,  he  yet  spoke  with  an  authority  and 
power  before  which  pride  fell  humbled,  and  wicked  gain- 
sayers  cowered  in  the  dust.  He  never  failed  to  reach  the 
deepest  and  strongest  emotions  of  the  soul,  when  address- 
ing the  people,  and  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  scores  and 
hundreds  to  fall  down  in  the  pangs  of  sudden  and  power- 
ful conviction. 

"The  fragmentary  traditions  that  have  come  down  to 
us  of  the  effects  of  his  preaching  and  his  faith  almost  ex- 
ceed the  bounds  of  belief.  And  yet  they  rest  on  the  testi- 
mony of  eyewitnesses,  and  must  be  received  as  true.  Per- 
haps no  man  has  ever  been  more  signally  honored  of  God 
as  an  instrument  in  the  conversion  of  souls.  On  one  of 
his  circuits  eighteen  hundred  members  were  added  to  the 
Church  in  a  single  year.    Thousands  were  brought  to  God 


106  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

under  his  ministry,  and  among  them  were  some  of  the 
brightest  lights  of  Methodism,  both  in  the  laity  and  in 
the  ministry. 

"William  McKendree  and  Enoch  George,  two  of  the 
best  and  purest  men  that  ever  graced  the  annals  of  the 
Christian  Church,  were  the  spiritual  children  of  John 
Easter.  Had  he  done  nothing  more  than  to  give  two  such 
men  to  the  Church  of  God,  this  would  have  been  sufficient 
to  embalm  his  memory  in  the  hearts  of  all  true  Christians 
throughout  all  time." 

Jesse  Lee,  in  passing  through  John  Easter's  circuit, 
Roanoke,  in  1783,  attended  one  of  his  quarterly  meetings, 
and  made  this  entry  in  his  Journal:  "Saturday,  16th,  and 
Sunday,  17th,  August,  I  attended  a  quarterly  meeting  at 
the  Tabernacle,  Roanoke  Circuit.  The  first  day  we  had 
two  sermons,  and  the  next  day  we  had  a  lively  love  feast. 
Then  I  preached,  J.  O'Kelly  preached,  and  J.  Easter  ex- 
horted. It  was  indeed  a  day  of  the  Lord's  power,  and 
many  souls  were  comforted."  Here  three  great  men  met, 
and  we  are  not  surprised  that  it  was  a  day  of  the  "Lord's 
power."  Easter  was  a  power  in  exhortation.  Perhaps  it 
was  on  this  occasion  that  one  of  his  contemporaries  says 
that  Easter  rose,  after  a  fine  but  apparently  ineffectual  ser- 
mon by  James  O'Kelly,  and  opened  an  exhortation  with 
the  positive  declaration  that  seven  persons  would  be  con- 
verted before  the  meeting  ended.  He  had  great  faith  in 
God,  and  he  was  not  afraid  to  venture  this  assertion. 
"The  pious  part  of  the  congregation  was  much  alarmed, 
and  thought  his  assertion  bold  and  presumptuous.  But 
he  began  to  exhort,  and  the  spirit  of  Elijah"s  God  came 


Growth  of  Methodism.  107 

upon  him,  and  the  people  felt  as  though  he  had  smitten 
them  with  the  prophet's  mantle;  great  power  fell  on  the 
congregation,  and  before  the  meeting  closed  more  than 
seven  souls  were  powerfully  converted." 

Many  thrilling  scenes  occurred  under  his  preaching.  A 
most  extraordinary  display  of  faith  was  witnessed  on  an- 
other quarterly  meeting  occasion.  A  vast  concourse  of 
people  had  assembled  from  many  miles  around.  The  serv- 
ices were  conducted  in  a  beautiful  grove  near  the  church. 
"In  the  midst  of  the  exercises  a  heavy  cloud  arose,  and 
swept  rapidly  on  toward  the  place  of  worship.  From  the 
skirts  of  the  grove  the  rain  could  be  seen  coming  on  across 
the  fields.  The  people  were  in  consternation;  no  house 
could  hold  a  third  of  the  multitude,  and  they  were  about 
to  scatter  in  all  directions.  Easter  rose  in  the  pulpit  in  the 
midst  of  the  confusion.  'Brethren!'  cried  he  at  the  top  of 
his  voice,  'be  still,  while  I  call  upon  God  to  stay  the  clouds, 
till  his  word  can  be  preached  to  perishing  sinners.'  Ar- 
rested by  his  voice  and  manner,  they  stood  between  hope 
and  fear.  He  kneeled  down  and  offered  a  fervent  prayer, 
that  God  would  then  stay  the  rain  that  his  work  might  go 
on,  and  afterwards  send  refreshing  showers.  While  he 
prayed,  the  angry  cloud,  as  it  swiftly  rolled  up  toward 
them,  was  seen  to  part  asunder  in  the  midst,  pass  on  either 
side  of  the  ground  and  to  close  again  beyond,  leaving  a 
space  several  hundred  yards  in  circumference,  perfectly 
dry.  The  next  morning  a  copious  rain  fell  again,  and 
the  fields  that  had  been  left  dry  were  well  watered.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  this  visible  answer  to  prayer  filled 
the  minds  of  the  people  with  awe,  and  gave  a  great  impulse 


108  Mel  hod  ism  in  North  Carolina. 

to  the  work  of  God."1  He  closed  his  brilliant  and  useful 
career  about  the  year  1801.  During  a  protracted  meeting 
he  so  over-exerted  himself  as  to  bring  on  a  disease  of  his 
lungs  which  terminated  in  death.2  Like  many  others  of 
his  class,  he  sleeps  in  a  neglected  grave  in  Virginia,  while 
many  of  his  successors  in  the  ministry  have  well-nigh  for- 
gotten his  name. 

In  1783  there  were  seventy  preachers  in  the  connection, 
and  nineteen  of  these  were  stationed  in  North  Carolina, 
a  list  of  whom  was  given  on  another  page.  With  such 
men  as  these  scattered  over  North  Carolina,  we  are  not 
surprised  that  difficulties  should  be  surmounted,  and  oppo- 
sition should  give  way  under  the  eloquent  preaching  and 
continuous  attack  of  these  earnest  men  of  God.  The  be- 
ginning indeed  was  small,  but  every  year  adds  strength 
to  its  vigorous  life,  and  in  a  few  decades  we  shall  see 
Methodism  forging  its  way  to  the  front  and  taking  a  stand 
along  with  the  foremost  denominations  of  North  Carolina. 

See  how  great  a  flame  aspires, 

Kindled  by  a  spark  of  grace! 
Jesus'  love  the  nations  fires, 

Sets  the  kingdoms  on  a  blaze. 
To  bring  fire  on  earth  he  came; 

Kindled  in  some  hearts  it  is: 
Oh,  that  all  might  catch  the  flame, 

All  partake  the  glorious  bliss! 


1  Bennett's  "  Memorials  of  Methodism  in  Virginia,"  page  173. 

'Moore's  "  Pioneers,"  page  ioi.    Also  Bishop  Fitzgerald's  Centennial  Address. 


THOMAS    COKE. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ORGANIZATION   OF   THE    METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH.1 

In  the  Beginning  Wesley  did  not  Contemplate  a  New  Church. 
Methodism  a  Child  of  Providence.  Conditions  in  America  made 
a  New  Organization  Necessary.  Mr.  Wesley  Consistent.  The 
Wisdom  of  the  Organization  not  now  Debatable.  Series  of  Provi- 
dential Events.  Conference  at  Broken  Back  Church.  Question 
of  Ordinances.  Imprudently  Yielded  to  an  Urgent  Demand. 
Visited  by  a  Committee.  After  much  Prayer,  Harmony  was 
Restored.  Wesley  was  Informed  of  the  Conditions.  Dr.  Coke 
was  sent  to  America  with  Full  Instructions.  Christmas  Confer- 
ence Appointed.  Garrettson  Carries  the  Notice.  About  Sixty 
Preachers  Assemble  in  Lovely  Lane  Chapel.  Missionary  Collec- 
tion Taken.  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  Organized.  John  Dick- 
ins  Proposed  the  Name.  Preachers  Ordained.  Much  Satisfac- 
tion Expressed.     Important  Conference  in  Methodism. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  societies,  Mr.  "Wesley  had  no 
idea  of  organizing  a  Church.  But  the  conditions  in  Amer- 
ica were  such  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  that  some- 
thing be  done.  And  after  all  the  facts  had  been  presented 
to  Mr.  Wesley,  and  after  looking  at  the  situation  from 
every  standpoint,  he  finally  gave  up  his  previous  plan  of 
keeping  his  societies  under  the  care  of  the  mother  Church, 
and  proceeded  to  cultivate  a  separate  organization  for  the 
societies  in  America.  Circumstances  largely  forced  this 
upon  him,  so  that  Methodism  has  often  been  called  "the 
child  of  Providence." 

'For  a  full  discussion  of  this  subject,  see  Dr.  Jno.  J.  Tigert's 
"Constitutional  History  of  American  Episcopal  Methodism,"  which 
is  the  ablest  work  covering  this  ground  known  to  the  writer. 

(109) 


no  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Let  us  notice  some  of  the  conditions  that  confronted  our 
brethren  in  America,  and  which  led  to  the  organization  of 
a  new  Church.  The  Revolutionary  War  had  just  closed. 
Every  tie  that  bound  us  to  the  mother  country  had  been 
severed.  The  very  air  in  America  was  full  of  liberty. 
The  colonies  had  become  an  independent  government,  no 
longer  under  the  control  of  Great  Britain,  either  in  civil 
or  ecclesiastical  matters.  The  separation  was  complete 
before  the  organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  So  that  in  this  organization  we  did  not  separate 
from  the  English  or  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  After 
the  war  was  over  the  English  Church  had  no  jurisdiction 
here,  and  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  had  no  exist- 
ence until  some  time  after  the  Methodist  Church  was  or- 
ganized. "Hence  Mr.  Wesley  acted  perfectly  consist- 
ent with  himself,  with  all  his  avowals  of  attachment  to  the 
Church  of  England,  when  he  proceeded  to  organize  a 
Church  here ;  for  while  he  did  this,  and  thereby  established 
a  separate  and  independent  Church  in  America  where  the 
English  Church  had  no  jurisdiction,  he  and  his  people  in 
England  still  remained  members  of  the  Establishment."1 
The  day  has  passed  for  the  historian  to  enter  into  a  dis- 
cussion as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  plan  of  organization  or  the 
validity  of  the  ordination,  for  not  only  has  the  world  ap- 
proved of  the  wisdom,  but  God  has  set  his  seal  to  this  great 
system  of  "spreading  scriptural  holiness  over  these  lands," 
as  has  been  demonstrated  by  the  spirit  of  power  which  has 
attended,  it.     In  order  fully  to  see  the  necessity  of  this 

'Bangs's  "History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,''  Vol.  I., 
page  161. 


Organization  of  the  Church.  in 

action  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Wesley,  let  us  review  the  pro- 
ceedings of  our  brethren  in  Virginia  and  North  Carolina 
at  a  Conference  in  1779. 

The  whole  process  of  the  planting  of  Methodism  in 
America  seems  to  have  been  a  series  of  providential  events. 
At  the  urgent  request  of  the  scattered  settlements  in  this 
country,  preachers  were  sent  over  from  England  with  no 
authority  but  to  spread  the  gospel.  They  were  not  or- 
dained, and  hence  not  empowered  to  administer  the  sacra- 
ments. They  did  not  lay  claim  to  represent  a  Church,  but 
desired  to  be  considered  as  belonging  to  a  religious  society. 
Their  only  object  was  to  spread  scriptural  holiness,  to  re- 
kindle the  waning  fires  of  the  Church,  and  to  add  to  the 
number  such  as  should  be  saved.  With  but  few  exceptions 
they  received  little  encouragement  from  the  ministry. 
Those  who  belonged  to  the  societies  went  to  the  different 
churches  for  the  sacraments.  Mr.  Jarratt,  who  is  already 
known  to  the  reader,  was  very  friendly  to  the  Methodists, 
and  rendered  great  assistance  to  them  in  administering  the 
sacraments.  But  while  he  had  traveled  extensively  and 
performed  this  service  as  a  labor  of  love,  yet  the  other 
preachers  were  not  so  willing  to  promote  the  spread  of 
Methodism. 

So  at  the  Conference  in  1779,  which  was  held  at 
Broken  Back  Church  in  Virginia,  they  had  up  for  consid- 
eration the  question  of  the  ordinances.  These  men  of  God 
in  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  felt  that  the  ordinances 
were  divinely  instituted,  and  are  the  rightful  heritage  of 
all  Christians.  It  was  certain  that  those  who  had  been 
spiritually  regenerated  were  entitled  to  the  blessings  de- 


ii2  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

rived  from  the  ordinances.  Not  only  so,  but  the  Metho- 
dists, knowing  the  clergy  of  that  day  as  they  did,  felt  that 
they  were  totally  unworthy  to  perform  such  a  solemn  serv- 
ice. And  it  will  always  be  difficult  "to  persuade  a  pious 
mind  that  the  sacraments  are  more  valid  from  the  hands  of 
an  ordained  wicked  man  than  they  are  from  the  hands  of 
an  unordained  good  one."  If  personal  holiness  and  win- 
ning souls  to  Christ  are  any  proofs  of  ministerial  author- 
ity, then  the  ordinances  of  the  early  pioneers,  under  the 
circumstances,  were  valid.  And  they,  no  doubt,  felt  that 
if  God  blessed  their  labors  in  saving  souls,  thus  putting 
his  divine  approval  upon  their  work,  it  was  perfectly  legiti- 
mate for  them  to  administer  the  sacraments  to  those  thus 
saved  under  their  ministry. 

Surrounded  by  these  conditions,  they  resolved  to  meet 
a  demand  pressed  upon  them  by  the  spiritual  wants  of  a 
pious  and  pure-minded  people,  and  by  a  mode  novel,  it 
may  be,  but  not  in  conflict  with  either  the  positive  precepts 
or  sound  principles  of  the  gospel.  Philip  Gatch,  R.  Ellis, 
James  Foster,  and  Le  Roy  Cole  were  elected,  and  then  or- 
dained each  other,  and  authorized  the  administration  of 
the  ordinances.  The  most  influential  preachers  in  favor 
of  this  movement  were  Philip  Gatch,  John  Dickins,  James 
O' Kelly,  Francis  Poythress,  Reuben  Ellis,  and  Isham 
Tatum.  These  were  good  and  true  men.  They  had  ex- 
perienced glorious  revivals  even  during  the  time  of  their 
secession,  to  which  they  pointed  as  a  proof  of  the  approval 
of  God  as  to  their  administration  of  the  ordinances. 

They  were  visited  by  a  committee  consisting  of  Francis 
Asbury,  Freeborn  Garrettson,  and  William  Watters,  who 


Organization  of  the  Church.  113 

were  very  kindly  received.  Asbury  made  his  argument 
against  the  movement.  For  a  while  they  stood  firm,  but 
finally  yielded.  Whether  these  men  were  right  or  not,  in 
making  this  new  rule  for  ordination,  we  shall  not  contend ; 
but  we  feel  sure  that  these  strong  and  faithful  men  acted 
prematurely,  if  not  unwisely,  in  taking  the  step  they  did. 
At  least  the  whole  Church  should  have  been  consulted 
before  any  action  was  taken.  The  result  of  their  hasty 
action  in  the  matter  came  near  being  serious.  As  it  was, 
the  Society  suffered  much.  The  peace  and  harmony  which 
had  prevailed  were  disturbed,  and  the  preachers  for  the 
time  being  were  at  variance  with  each  other  as  to  the  solu- 
tion of  the  question.  The  chill  of  the  cloud  that  over- 
shadowed the  Society  paralyzed  its  energies,  and  as  a  re- 
sult there  was  a  small  decrease  in  the  membership.  It  is 
just,  however,  to  say  that  through  it  all  there  was  no 
harshness  or  unkind  words,  but  many  tears  were  shed,  and 
many  prayers  offered;  and  it  was  during  one  of  these 
seasons  of  prayer,  in  which  Asbury,  Watters,  and  Garrett- 
son  were  engaged,  that  the  Conference  resolved  to  accept 
a  proposition  that  led  to  the  restoration  of  peace  and  unity. 
The  adoption  of  the  resolution  filled  all  hearts  with  joy, 
and  many  shouted  and  praised  God.  The  bands  of  Meth- 
odism had  been  made  stronger,  and  the  preachers  were 
more  firmly  bound  together  in  a  "bundle  of  love."  The 
compromise  that  brought  joy  to  all  hearts  was,  that  the 
seceders  would  desist  from  administering  the  sacraments 
until  Mr.  Wesley  could  be  consulted  and  all  the  condi- 
tions laid  before  him.  Mr.  Wesley  was  informed  in  due 
time,  and  it  is  very  probable  that  this  had  as  much  to  do 
8 


ii4  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

in  changing  his  mind  in  reference  to  a  separate  organiza- 
tion in  America  as  anything  else.  For  at  the  time  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  there  was 
nothing  else  to  do  but  to  organize  it. 

On  September  10,  1784,  John  Wesley  wrote  a  letter  to 
Mr.  Asbury  and  his  brethren  in  America  in  which  he  re- 
counted the  facts  concerning  the  complete  separation  be- 
tween Great  Britain  and  America,  which  had  been  brought 
about  by  the  United  States  becoming  free  and  independ- 
ent. He  then  outlined  a  plan  by  which  the  preachers  in 
America  could  be  ordained,  and  their  people  could  have 
the  sacraments.  Dr.  Coke  conveyed  the  letter,  landing  in 
New  York  on  November  3,  1784.  On  the  night  of  his  ar- 
rival he  preached  his  first  sermon  in  the  New  World  at 
John  Street  Chapel.  The  plan  of  organization  was  sub- 
mitted to  John  Dickins,  the  station  preacher,  and  some 
others.  Coke  met  Garrettson  and  admired  him  as  "an  ex- 
cellent young  man,  all  meekness,  love,  and  activity."  On 
the  14th  of  November  he  met  Mr.  Asbury  and  laid  his 
mission  before  him,  of  which  Asbury  had  received  some 
intimation.  They  decided  to  call  a  Conference  as  soon  as 
possible.  They  sent  off  Freeborn  Garrettson,  "like  an 
arrow,  from  north  to  south,  directing  him  to  send  messen- 
gers to  the  right  and  left,  and  to  gather  all  the  preachers 
together  at  Baltimore  on  Christmas  eve."  The  Confer- 
ence continued  in  session  for  ten  days,  and  has  been  called 
the  Christmas  Conference. 

Jesse  Lee,  who  was  a  prominent  preacher,  failed  to 
reach  the  Conference  because  Garrettson  did  not  give  him 
timelv  notice,  and  because  of  the  long  distance  and  his 


Organization  of  the  Church.  115 

feeble  health.  He  decided  to  remain  on  his  circuit  and  do 
what  he  could  to  advance  its  interests. 

The  Conference  convened  at  the  time  appointed,  Decem- 
ber 24,  1 784/  at  ten  o'clock  a.m.,  in  Lovely  Lane  Chapel, 
Baltimore.  Garrettson  had  sped  his  way  over  twelve  hun- 
dred miles  in  six  weeks,  and  had  collected  about  sixty  itin- 
erants who  were  present.  Dr.  Coke,  taking-  the  chair,  pre- 
sented the  letter  from  Mr.  Wesley.  And  according  to  this 
document  they  formed  themselves  into  an  Episcopal 
Church,  having  superintendents,  elders,  and  deacons. 
Coke  and  Asbury  were  unanimously  elected  superintend- 
ents. 

Dr.  Coke,  in  speaking  of  the  Conference,  says :  "Our 
Conference  continued  ten  days.  I  admire  the  American 
preachers.  We  had  nearly  sixty  of  them  present;  the 
whole  number  is  eighty-one.  They  are  indeed  a  body  of 
devoted,  disinterested  men,  but  most  of  them  young.  The 
spirit  in  which  they  conducted  themselves  in  choosing  the 
elders  was  most  pleasing.  I  believe  they  acted  without 
being  at  all  influenced  by  friendship,  or  prejudice,  both  in 
choosing  and  rejecting.  The  Lord  was  peculiarly  present 
while  I  was  preaching  my  two  pastoral  sermons.  On  one 
of  the  week  days,  at  noon,  I  made  a  collection  toward  as- 
sisting our  brethren  who  were  going  to  Nova  Scotia ;  and 
our  friends  generously  contributed  fifty  pounds  currency 
— thirty  pounds  sterling." 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  this  collection  was  not  taken 
in  a  fine  city  church,  where  there  was  great  culture  and 


*Not  the  25th  of  December,  as  so  many  historians  have  it. 


n6  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

wealth ;  but  in  a  plain,  humble  meetinghouse,  which  was 
without  even  a  stove,  and  the  seats  without  backs,  until,  in 
the  language  of  Dr.  Coke,  the  "friends  in  Baltimore  were 
so  kind  as  to  put  up  a  large  stove  and  to  back  several  of  the 
seats."  But  while  the  house  in  which  they  met  was  plain, 
and  many  of  them  had  faced  the  cold  December  blasts  on 
horseback  for  several  hundred  miles,  yet  in  some  respects 
no  such  body  of  men  ever  met  on  the  American  continent 
before.  It  was  a  band  of  heroes  as  noble  and  true  as  ever 
toiled  for  any  cause.  Under  the  circumstances  this  was 
a  very  liberal  collection  for  foreign  missions.  And  from 
that  day  to  this  Methodism  has  been  in  spirit  and  effort  a 
missionary  Church.  It  was  this  spirit  in  it  that  caused  it 
to  force  its  way  into  mountain  coves,  across  desert  plains, 
and  over  wide  seas,  until  it  girdled  the  globe. 

These  holy  men  of  God  had  weighty  matters  for  con- 
sideration, and  in  the  fear  of  God  they  made  plans  not 
through  selfish  motives,  but  for  the  glory  of  God  in  the 
salvation  of  men.  And  knowing  something  of  the  men 
and  the  motives  that  dominated  them,  we  are  not  surprised 
that  there  was  such  peace  and  unanimity  among  them. 
John  Dickins,  who  has  been  introduced  to  the  reader, 
suggested  the  name,  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  it  was  adopted.  "There  were  two  orders  in  the 
ministry  recognized,  namely,  deacon  and  elder;  and 
Asbury  was  vested  with  both  orders  before  his  consecra- 
tion to  the  office  of  superintendent.  Sixteen  preachers 
were  elected  to  orders,  four  of  whom  were  subsequently 
ordained.  Doctrinal  symbols  and  a  liturgy,  furnished 
by  Wesley,  were  accepted  and  adopted." 


Organization  of  the  Church.  117 

Much  of  the  time  of  the  Conference  was  devoted  to  re- 
ligious worship.  Dr.  Coke  preached  each  day  at  noon, 
''except  on  ordination  days,  and  the  Sundays,  when  the 
preaching  hour  was  ten  o'clock,  and  the  service  generally 
lasted  four  hours.  There  was  a  sermon  by  one  of  the 
preachers  at  six  every  morning.  At  six  in  the  evening 
there  was  preaching  at  the  'Point'  at  Otterbein's  Church, 
and  in  Lovely  Lane."  How  much  these  services  had  to 
do  with  the  unity  that  prevailed  among  them,  we  are  un- 
able to  say.  Thomas  Ware,  who  was  present,  says :  "Dur- 
ing the  whole  time  of  our  being  together  in  the  transaction 
of  business  of  the  utmost  magnitude,  there  was  not,  I 
verily  believe,  on  the  Conference  floor,  or  in  private,  an 
unkind  word  spoken,  or  an  unbrotherly  emotion  felt. 
Christian  love  predominated ;  and,  under  its  influence,  we 
kindly  thought  and  sweetly  spoke  the  same."1 

"The  new  organization  was  accepted  by  the  Christian 
world  as  a  Church  of  Christ.  It  was  composed  of  a  body 
of  faithful  men.  It  accepted  and  administered  the  sacra- 
ments of  Christ."  The  societies  north  and  south  received 
the  tidings  with  great  joy.  We  are  assured  by  leading 
authorities  of  that  period  that  the  laity  received  the  news 
with  universal  expression  of  satisfaction  and  pleasure. 
William  Watters,  who  was  the  first  traveling  preacher 
of  American  birth,  says  in  his  Autobiography  that  it 
"gave  great  satisfaction  through  all  our  societies."  Jesse 
Lee,  the  first  historian  of  the  Church,  affirms  that  the 
Methodists  were  "heartily  united  together  in  the  new  plan 

1  "Memoirs  of  Rev.  Thomas  Ware,"  page  102. 


n8  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

which  the  Conference  had  adopted."  Bishop  Asbury  states 
that  every  heart  leaped  with  joy,  and  "the  members  of 
Society  and  the  congregations  in  America  embraced  our 
Church  form  and  order." 

This  was  the  most  important  Conference  that  ever  as- 
sembled in  the  history  of  Methodism,  and  the  work  that 
was  accomplished  gave  the  whole  Church  a  new  impetus. 
The  war  was  over.  The  storm  that  raged  at  Broken  Back 
Church  in  1 779  had  passed  over,  and  the  Church  now  goes 
out  under  more  favorable  circumstances  than  ever  before 
for  the  conquest  of  the  world. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    FIRST    CONFERENCES. 

Bishop  Asbury  Goes  South.  Dr.  Coke  Goes  North  as  far  as  New 
York — Visits  Eastern  Carolina.  Both  Meet  at  Green  Hill's — 
Here  First  Conference  was  Held — Gains  Reported — Lively  De- 
bate— House  still  Standing.  Beverly  Allen.  Origin  of  Presiding 
Elders.  Rev.  Green  Hill.  Conference  in  Salisbury.  McKnight's. 
Mr.  Asbury's  Long  Journey.  Good  Reports  from  Kentucky.  Dis- 
cussion on  Education.  Thomas  Ware.  Most  Spiritual  Confer- 
ence in  1791.  Conference  Again  at  Green  Hill's.  Early  Quarterly 
Conference.    A  Closing  Scene. 

From  the  time  of  the  Christmas  Conference  until  the 
first  Annual  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  which  convened  on  April  20,  1785,  Bishops  Coke 
and  Asbury  were  busy  traveling  and  superintending  the 
work.  And  as  the  Methodists  at  that  time  were  stronger 
in  the  south  than  anywhere  else,  they  spent  most  of  this 
time  in  the  southern  states.  Asbury  went  south  as  far 
as  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  Early  in  January,  1785, 
he  left  Baltimore,  passed  through  Virginia  and  into  North 
Carolina,  passing  by  Old  Town,  near  Winston-Salem  on 
January  22d,  and  on  the  same  day  he  reached  Mr.  Hill's 
oh  the  Yadkin  Circuit.  He  then  went  to  Fisher's  River, 
where  he  preached,  and  continued  his  journey  into  Wilkes 
county.  Here,  he  says,  our  Church  folks  were  highly 
pleased  at  the  step  we  have  taken  in  administering  the 
ordinances.  It  gave  satisfaction  to  the  Catholics  and 
Presbyterians,  "but  the  Baptists  are  discontented." 

Here  Jesse  Lee  met  Mr.  Asbury  for  the  first  time  after 
the  organization  of  the  Church ;  and  just  before  the  open- 

("9) 


120  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

ing  of  divine  service,  the  bishop  appeared,  having  on  his 
"black  gown,  cassock,  and  band."  Air.  Lee  was  not 
pleased  at  seeing  the  superintendent  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  this  attire,  but  on  the  contrary  he 
was  grieved,  on  account  of  what  he  deemed  an  innova- 
tion upon  the  plainness  of  the  Methodists  in  America. 
They  both  stopped  at  Colonel  Hendren's.  Mr.  Lee  ac- 
companied the  bishop  to  the  south.  They  went  south- 
ward by  Elsberry's  and  Morgan  Bryan's  to  Salisbury. 
Here  Mr.  Asbury  had  but  few  hearers,  as  it  was  court 
week.  Thence  he  went  to  Charleston,  returning  by  way 
of  Wilmington,  Waccamaw  Lake,  Elizabethtown,  and 
Kinston,  where  he  says  he  was  entertained  by  Governor 
Caswell.  And  on  Tuesday,  the  19th  of  April,  he  arrived 
at  Green  Hill's,  the  seat  of  the  Conference. 

Dr.  Coke,  after  the  adjournment  of  the  Christmas  Con- 
ference, went  north  as  far  as  New  York  and  then  re- 
turned, stopping  at  Princeton,  Philadelphia,  Wilmington, 
Baltimore,  and  Portsmouth,  Virginia.  He  then  made  a 
tour  of  northeastern  North  Carolina,  visiting  Pasquotank, 
Edenton,  and  Roanoke  Chapel.  Here  he  met  Mr.  Jarratt, 
with  whom  he  talked  much  upon  the  minutes  concerning 
slavery;  but  Dr.  Coke  says  "he  would  not  be  persuaded. 
The  secret  is,  he  has  twenty-four  slaves  of  his  own."1    He 


nRev.  Devereux  Jarratt,  in  a  letter  written  April  15,  1790,  replied 
to  Dr.  Coke  in  very  strong  language,  and  among  other  things  con- 
tradicted much  that  Coke  had  said  about  him.  This  letter  is  pub- 
lished in  Mr.  Jarratt's  Autobiography  under  the  head  "Series  of  Let- 
ters to  a  Friend,"  page  83.  This  is  the  most  caustic  letter  found 
among  his  writings. 


The  First  Conferences.  121 

also  visited,  in  North  Carolina,  Mi".  Kennon's;  preached 
at  a  Presbyterian  Church  where  Mr.  Patillo1  was  pastor ; 
and  then  rode  to  Edmund  Taylor's,  where  he  says  I 
found  "a  sincere  friend  and  brother  who  is  overjoyed  at 
our  late  change."  And  on  the  19th  of  April  Dr.  Coke 
also  arrived  at  Green  Hill's. 

Here  the  first  Annual  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  convened  on  April  20,  1785.  The  ter- 
ritory represented  by  this  Conference  was  Virginia,  North 
Carolina,  and  South  Carolina.  There  were  in  attendance 
about  twenty  preachers,  who  had  come  up  from  large  and 
difficult  fields  to  make  their  reports.  The  year  had  been 
a  successful  one,  the  preachers  reporting  a  gain  of  nine 
hundred  and  ninety-one  members.  They  dispatched  their 
business  with  peace  and  harmony,  with  perhaps  one  ex- 
ception. Jesse  Lee  took  issue  with  Dr.  Coke  on  the  ques- 
tion of  slavery.  The  hostility  to  slavery  was  very  general 
among  the  preachers  of  early  Methodism,  but  Dr.  Coke 
opposed  it  with  so  much  zeal,  not  to  say  imprudent  zeal, 
that  he  stirred  up  antagonism  almost  everywhere  he  went 
in  Virginia  and  North  Carolina.  His  manliness  and 
courage  are  to  be  admired  more  than  his  wisdom.  Mr. 
Lee  mildly,  but  firmly,  opposed  Dr.  Coke's  views.  He 
advocated  a  more  prudent  policy.  Coke  thought  by  this 
that  Lee  was  friendly  to  the  idea  of  slavery,  and  made 
this  as  an  objection  to  the  passage  of  Lee's  character. 
But  Dr.  Coke  saw  his  mistake,  and  soon  "made  an  apol- 
ogy which  was  satisfactory,  and  the  breach  was  healed." 

'This  reference  is  to  the  Rev.  Henry  Patillo,  an  eminent  Presby- 
terian minister,  who  was  pastor  of  Nutbush  and  Grassy  Creek,  in 
Granville  county,  from  1768  until  his  death  in  1801. 


122  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

The  house  where  this  Conference  was  held  is  still  stand- 
ing, and  is  in  good  repair.  It  is  situated  about  one  mile 
south  of  Louisburg,  the  county  seat  of  Franklin.  The 
large  upper  room  where  the  Conference  sat  may  be  seen 
by  any  visitor  to  this  old  homestead.  Green  Hill  enter- 
tained the  Conference.  Dr.  Coke  says :  "There  were 
about  twenty  preachers  or  more  in  one  house,  and  by  mak- 
ing or  laying  beds  on  the  floors  there  was  room  for  all. 
We  spent  three  days  (from  Wednesday  to  Friday  inclu- 
sive) in  Conference,  and  a  comfortable  time  we  had  to- 
gether."1 These  men  did  not  require  a  separate  room  or 
a  separate  bed.  They  had  not  come  to  Conference  on  a 
Pullman  car,  dashing  across  hills  and  valleys  at  the  rate 
of  fifty  miles  an  hour,  but  had  come  for  hundreds  of  miles 
on  horseback,  being  entertained  in  humble  log  cabins  at 
night.  They  were  used  to  hardships.  And  as  to  finances, 
there  is  no  record  as  to  whether  any  circuit  paid  out  in  full 
or  not.  It  required  but  little  money  to  travel  through  the 
country,  and  many  of  the  hearers  thought  the  Methodist 
preacher  was  sufficiently  compensated  by  honoring  him 
with  their  presence.  These  pioneers  were  heroes  in  ev- 
ery sense  of  the  word.  They  rejoiced  over  nearly  a 
thousand  brought  to  Christ,  and  now  they  are  reaping 
their  reward. 

Beverly  Allen  was  ordained  and  sent  to  Georgia.  He 
had  all  this  great  state  for  a  circuit.  He  had  done  a  good 
work  in  North  Carolina.  He  helped  to  plant  Methodism 
in  the  Cape  Fear  section,  along  the  Pee  Dee,  and  he  or- 

1Arminian  Magazine,  Vol.  I.,  page  346  (1789). 


The  First  Conferences.  123 

ganized  the  society  in  Salisbury.  He  was  a  correspondent 
of  Mr.  Wesley.  As  to  personal  appearance,  he  was 
slender  and  rather  handsome ;  as  a  preacher,  he  was  prac- 
tical, earnest,  and  eloquent.  Many  pages  have  been  writ- 
ten about  this  brilliant  young  preacher,  but  Bishop  Mc- 
Tyeire  tells  it  all  in  a  few  words.  We  quote  what  he 
says,  and  let  the  mantle  of  charity  fall  over  his  life: 
"Beverly  Allen  was  now  ordained  elder,  and  began  to 
range.  He  turned  out  to  be  one  of  those  popular  preach- 
ers who  find  work  everywhere  else  but  where  they  are  ap- 
pointed; who  promise  much  and  come  to  nothing;  he 
came  to  worse  than  nothing.  The  bad  eminence  of  being 
the  first  apostate  Methodist  presbyter  is  his.  He  managed 
to  get  up  a  personal  correspondence  with  Wesley,  by 
which  he  derived  more  consideration  than  he  was  entitled 
to;  married  rich;  fell  into  sin;  was  expelled;  went  into 
business;  failed;  killed  the  marshal  while  arresting  him; 
fled  to  a  part  in  Kentucky  in  Logan  county  then  called 
'Rogue's  Harbor' ;  became  a  Universalist,  and  went  out  in 
obscure  darkness;  all  this  within  the  next  dozen  years."1 
Others  were  found  to  plant  Methodism  in  Georgia  and 
make  it  blossom  as  the  rose. 

We  would  be  glad  to  know  the  names  of  all  those  who 
attended  this  Conference ;  but  the  information  concerning 
it  is  very  meager.  We  know  that  John  King,  Jesse  Lee, 
Philip  Bruce,  Reuben  Ellis,  Beverly  Allen,  and  Green  Hill 
were  present. 

Since  the  ordination  of  some  of  the  preachers,  it  be- 

^cTyeire's  "History  of  Methodism,"  page  357. 


124  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

came  necessary  to  appoint  some  of  these  to  travel  over  the 
territory  and  administer  the  sacraments,  and  in  the  ab- 
sence of  the  superintendent  otherwise  to  supervise  the 
work.  Hence  the  origin  of  the  presiding  elder.  In  this 
Conference  it  had  its  birth.  Three  presiding  elders  were 
appointed,  but  they  were  called  elders,  and  the  term  pre- 
siding elder  was  not  used  until  1789.  This  office,  like 
nearly  all  the  forms  and  usages  of  Methodism,  grew  out 
of  the  circumstances  of  the  occasion. 

Here  is  another  character  who  deserves  special  notice 
in  this  connection — the  Rev.  Green  Hill,  in  whose  house 
the  Conference  was  held.  Rev.  T.  N.  Ivey,  D.D.,  in  a 
well-written  article,  published  in  The  Methodist  Maga- 
zine, February,  1902,  says:  "Green  Hill  was  the  host  of 
the  Conference.  He  was  one  of  the  columnar  characters 
of  early  American  Methodism.  He  figures  largely  in 
Asbury's  Journal.  We  must  regard  him  as  one  of  the 
great  men,  not  only  of  Methodism,  but  of  the  state.  His 
name  is  a  familiar  one  in  the  secular  histories  of  North 
Carolina.  He  was  a  man  of  large  mind,  but  of  larger 
heart.  There  was  no  honorable  sacrifice  which  he  was  not 
willing  to  lay  on  the  altar  of  his  beloved  Church.  He  was 
the  impersonation  of  Christian  hospitality.  He  enter- 
tained under  his  roof  no  fewer  than  four  Annual  Confer- 
ences. Born  in  the  county  of  Bute,  now  Franklin  and 
Warren,  on  November  3,  1741,  he  was  married  in  early 
life  to  Miss  Sea  well,  a  sister  of  Judge  Seawell  who  fig- 
ured conspicuously  for  many  years  on  the  bench  in  North 
Carolina.  Green  Hill  was  a  member  of  the  first  and  of 
each  succeeding  provincial  congress  of  the  state,  and  was 


The  First  Conferences.  125 

for  a  while  state  treasurer.  When  the  Revolutionary 
War  broke  out,  he  was  the  first  to  enlist.  He  was  made 
major  in  the  provincial  army,  and  at  the  same  time  served 
as  chaplain.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  settled  down  to 
farming,  an  occupation  in  which  God  signally  blessed 
him.  Without  such  success  he  could  not  have  been  the 
Gaius  of  early  Methodism.  He  was  an  extensive  slave- 
holder. The  library  of  Vanderbilt  University  contains 
a  number  of  his  books,  presented  by  his  grandson,  Judge 
Hill.  On  the  fly  leaf  of  one  of  them  is  inscribed  the 
number  of  his  slaves.  Bishop  McTyeire  says  he  had 
"nearly  as  many  as  Abraham.  Toward  the  close  of  the 
century,  in  obedience  to  that  impulse  which  has  enriched 
the  great  west  with  North  Carolina  blood,  Green  Hill 
moved  to  Tennessee,  and  settled  about  fourteen  miles 
south  of  Nashville.  ...  In  1808  he  entertained  the 
first  Tennessee  Conference,  presided  over  by  Bishop  Mc- 
Kendree.  Bishop  Asbury  says  this  Conference  sat  six 
hours  a  day,  stationed  eighty  preachers,  and  all  was  peace. 
The  cabinet  met  in  a  room  which  is  still  to  be  seen.  Here 
for  about  one  quarter  of  a  century  lived  Green  Hill.  Un- 
til his  life's  close  he  continued  to  be  a  tower  of  strength 
to  the  community  and  to  his  Church.  His  descendants, 
scattered  over  several  states,  display  in  their  lives  the 
marks  of  the  sturdy  Christian  character  of  their  apostolic 
ancestor.  He  served  well  his  day  and  generation,  and  at 
a  ripe  old  age  passed  to  his  reward." 

The  next  Conference  was  held  in  Salisbury,  according 
to  the  minutes,  on  February  1st,  1786;  but  according  to 
Bishop  Asbury,  who  presided  over  the  Conference,  it  did 


126  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

not  open  until  February  21st,  and  was  in  session  three 
days.  The  weather  was  rough.  For  several  days  pre- 
vious there  was  snow  on  the  ground,  heavy  rains  had 
fallen  on  the  20th,  and  the  streams  were  greatly  swollen. 
Bishop  Asbury  traveled  all  day  in  the  rain,  and  swam 
Grant's  Creek,  and  reached  Salisbury  on  the  evening 
of  the  2 1  st,  "wet  and  weary."  The  bishop  expected 
very  few  preachers  present  at  the  time  appointed,  but 
to  his  surprise,  he  says,  "the  bad  weather  did  not  stop 
their  coming."  From  Lednum's  History  we  learn  that 
there  were  twenty-four  present,  and  that  seven  of  them 
were  entertained  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Philip  Fishburn.  Mrs. 
Fishburn  joined  the  Society  under  Beverly  Allen  in  1783. 
The  horses  were  sent  to  the  country,  where  they  were 
cared  for  during  the  sitting  of  the  Conference. 

Bishop  Asbury  says  they  finished  their  business  in  three 
days  "with  great  satisfaction."  The  preaching  and  Chris- 
tian deportment  of  these  ministers  made  a  very  profound 
impression  on  the  people  of  Salisbury.  Methodism  was 
growing  in  the  Yadkin  Valley;  the  people  were  anxious 
for  another  Conference;  so  it  was  decided  to  meet  again 
in  Salisbury  in  1787.  Dr.  Coke  and  Bishop  Asbury  were 
in  North  Carolina  in  April  of  this  year,  and  held  the  An- 
son quarterly  meeting,  and  preached  at  Salisbury  on  April 
12th,  and  at  McKnight's  Chapel  on  the  13th  of  April; 
but  no  mention  is  made  of  a  Conference  being  held 
here  for  this  year.  In  1788  the  Conference  met  in 
Holston; 

For  several  reasons  the  Conference  held  at  McKnight's 
in  1789  deserves  special  notice.     It  was  situated  about  a 


The  First  Conferences.  127 

mile  and  a  half  west  of  Clemmonsville  in  Forsyth  county, 
about  halfway  between  Clemmonsville  and  the  Yadkin 
River.  Dr.  R.  N.  Price,  in  the  "History  of  the  Holston 
Conference,"  is  in  error  when  he  says  that  McKnight's 
was  on  the  west  side  of  the  Yadkin  River.  The  Confer- 
ence convened  on  April  the  10th.  Bishop  Asbury  says : 
"We  opened  our  Conference,  and  were  blessed  with  peace 
and  union.  Our  brethren  from  the  westward  met  us,  and 
we  had  weighty  matters  for  consideration  before  us." 
Preachers  were  here  from  Kentucky,  coming  hundreds  of 
miles  over  mountains,  through  forest  wilds  with  no  roads, 
and  through  rough  weather.  Asbury  says  on  the  3d  of 
April,  just  after  entering  North  Carolina  from  Georgia, 
"We  have  ridden  three  hundred  miles  in  about  nine 
days,  and  our  horses'  backs  are  bruised  with  their 
loads."  And  then  the  heroic  Asbury  cries  out  and 
says,  "I  want  more  faith,  patience,  and  resignation  to 
the  will  of  God  in  all  things."  For  heroic  endurance 
there  is  nothing  to  be  compared  to  the  Methodist  itin- 
erancy in  the  days  when  Methodism  was  being  planted 
in  North  Carolina. 

The  brethren  had  come  from  the  far  west,  looking  to 
the  establishment  of  a  school  in  Kentucky ;  they  also  gave 
a  very  pleasing  account  of  the  prosperity  of  the  work  in 
that  distant  field.  They  felt  a  deep  interest  in  the  educa- 
tion of  their  children,  so  they  brought  an  earnest  request 
from  the  inhabitants  that  a  college  should  be  erected  in 
that  remote  settlement.  But  the  Conference  thought 
"that  it  was  an  undertaking  of  too  much  moment  to  jus- 
tify a  precipitate  engagement,  and  the  decision  was  sus- 


128  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

pended  until  the  measure  should  be  examined  with  due 
deliberation."1  Perhaps  this  discussion  on  the  subject  of 
education  accomplished  some  good,  for  shortly  after  this 
a  school  was  established  just  across  the  Yadkin  River, 
which  was  the  first  Conference  school  in  America. 

Another  important  matter  was  considered  here — the 
subject  of  religious  literature.  Here  Bishops  Coke  and 
Asbury  wrote  the  preface  of  the  Arminian  Magazine, 
which  was  published  in  Philadelphia,  and  which  was  the 
first  Methodist  periodical  published  in  America.2 

Dr.  Stevens  says  there  were  nineteen  preachers  present. 
There  are  six  thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy-nine 
members  in  the  state ;  an  increase  for  this  year  of  seven 
hundred  and  forty-one.  Thomas  Ware  came  from  the 
New  River  Circuit  by  way  of  "Flower  Gap,"  and  when 
he  had  reached  the  summit  of  the  Blue  Ridge  on  the 
border  of  North  Carolina,  he  was  "so  enchanted  that  he 
would  have  spent  hours  surveying  the  scene  below" ;  but 
his  companion,  being  more  familiar  with  the  scenery,  dis- 
mounted and  began  to  descend  the  mountain,  and  Mr. 
Ware  must  follow.  But  he  says  he  descended  the  moun- 
tain with  a  sublimity  of  feeling  that  he  could  not  describe. 
"From  this  lofty  eminence  you  see  the  world  spread  out 
below  you,  extended  in  one  continued  grove,  excepting 
here  and  there  a  spot,  until  vision  is  lost  in  the  blue  ex- 
panse which  limits  its  power." 

1Drew'.s  "Life  of  Dr.  Coke,"  page  212. 

2It  was  published  monthly,  and  continued  for  two  years,  when 
it  was  suspended.  The  writer  has  every  copy  in  his  library,  from 
which  many  facts  are  gathered  for  this  work, 


The  First  Conferences.  129 

Mr.  Ware,  in  speaking  of  the  Conference,  says :  "It  was 
one  of  the  most  interesting  I  had  attended.  Great  grace 
rested  on  both  preachers  and  people,  and  much  good  re- 
sulted." During  the  past  year  he  had  served  in  the  Hol- 
ston  country  where  he  says  there  was  "little  money  and 
clothing  was  very  dear.  My  coat  was  worn  through  at 
the  elbows ;  and  I  had  not  a  whole  undergarment  left ; 
and  as  for  boots,  I  had  none.  But  my  health  was  good, 
and  I  was  finely  mounted."1  He  was  sent  from  this  Con- 
ference to  the  Caswell  Circuit. 

The  Conferences  for  1790  and  1791  were  also  held  at 
McKnight's.  At  the  Conference  here  in  1790,  Bishop 
Asbury  did  not  reach  the  place  until  June  2d.  The  Con- 
ference had  been  waiting  for  him  for  two  weeks.  He  had 
been  sick,  but  when  he  reached  the  seat  of  the  Conference 
he  says :  "We  rejoiced  together,  and  my  brethren  received 
me  as  one  brought  from  the  jaws  of  death.  Our  business 
was  much  matured,  the  critical  concern  of  the  Council  un- 
derstood, and  the  plan,  with  its  amendments,  adopted. 
Saturday  and  Sunday  were  days  of  the  Lord's  presence 
and  power — several  were  converted.  We  had  an  ordina- 
tion each  day.  We  have  admitted  into  full  connection 
some  steady  men,  with  dispositions  and  talents  for  the 
work." 

At  the  Conference  which  again  convened  here  on  April 
2d,  1 79 1,  Bishops  Coke  and  Asbury  were  present.  Per- 
haps this  was  one  of  the  most  spiritual  Conferences  in  the 
history  of  North  Carolina  Methodism.     "There  were," 

'"Life  of  Thomas  Ware,"  page  ior. 


130  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

writes  Coke,  "in  all  about  thirty  preachers  present,  several 
of  whom  came  from  the  other  side  of  the  Appalachian 
Mountains.  At.  this  Conference  a  remarkable  spirit  of 
prayer  was  poured  forth  on  the  preachers.  Every  night, 
before  we  concluded,  heaven  itself  seemed  to  be  opened  to 
our  believing  souls.  One  of  the  preachers  was  so  blessed 
in  the  course  of  our  prayers  that  he  was  constrained  to 
cry,  'Oh,  I  never  was  so  happy  in  all  my  life  before !  Oh, 
what  a  heaven  of  heavens  I  feel !"  At  each  of  our  Con- 
ferences, before  we  parted,  every  preacher  gave  an  ac- 
count of  his  experience  from  the  first  strivings  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  as  far  as  he  could  remember;  and  also  of 
his  call  to  preach,  and  the  success  the  Lord  had  given  to 
his  labors.  It  was  quite  new,  but  was  made  a  blessing,  I 
am  persuaded,  to  us  all." 

The  Conference  met  at  Green  Hill's  for  the  next  three 
years;  two  in  1792,  the  first  in  January  and  the  next  in 
December.  This  was  brought  about  by  changing  the  time 
of  the  Conference  from  the  spring  to  the  fall  of  the  year. 
Bishop  Asbury  on  Sunday,  the  8th  of  January,  was  in  the 
extreme  eastern  part  of  the  state,  where  he  preached  at  the 
widow  Hardy's  to  a  large  congregation.  Then  he  turned 
toward  the  seat  of  the  Conference,  and  as  he  expressed  it, 
"the  prospect  of  our  journey  seemed  gloomy."  There 
was  much  snow  and  ice  on  the  ground.  Part  of  the  way 
the  road  was  strange  to  him.  But  Thursday,  the  19th,  he 
makes  this  entry  in  his  Journal :  "I  rode  with  no  small 
difficulty  to  Green  Hill's,  about  two  hundred  miles,  the 
roads  being  covered  with  snow  and  ice.  Our  Conference 
began  and  ended  in  great  peace  and  harmony;  we  had 


The  First  Conferences.  131 

thirty-one  preachers  stationed  at  the  different  houses  in 
the  neighborhood.  I  find  we  have  had  a  good  work  in 
the  eastern  district  of  North  Carolina  in  the  past  year." 
It  was  not  necessary  to  crowd  them  all  in  one  house  now ; 
others  in  the  neighborhood  were  ready  to  help  entertain 
the  preachers. 

At  the  Conference  here  which  met  on  December  12th 
there  were  about  forty  preachers  present  from  the  two 
districts  in  North  Carolina.  And  the  Conference  held 
here  on  December  10th,  1793,  was  the  last  held  in  North 
Carolina  in  the  eighteenth  century.  At  this  Conference, 
"the  preachers  cheerfully  signed  an  instrument,  express- 
ing their  determination  to  submit  to,  and  abide  by,  what 
the  General  Conference  has  done."  Unity  and  peace  pre- 
vailed among  them. 

Before  closing  this  chapter  let  us  glance  at  an  early 
Quarterly  Conference.  The  minutes  of  such  Conferences 
are  very  short — only  a  few  questions  and  answers.  One 
reason  for  this  is  that  there  was  very  little  business  at- 
tended to.  It  was  primarily  a  religious  meeting.  Dr. 
Coke  says :  "The  quarterly  meetings  on  this  continent  are 
much  attended.  The  brethren  for  twenty  miles  around, 
and  sometimes  for  thirty  or  forty,  meet  together.  The 
meeting  always  lasts  two  days.  All  the  traveling  preach- 
ers in  the  circuit  are  present,  and  they,  with  perhaps  a 
local  preacher  or  two,  give  the  people  a  sermon  one  after 
another,  besides  the  love  feast,  and  now  the  sacrament." 
The  quarterly  meeting  at  that  day  was  an  occasion 
where  much  good  was  accomplished — frequently  many 
souls  being  converted. 


132  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

We  have  gone  with  the  heroic  pioneers  up  to  one  Con- 
ference after  another,  enduring  much  hardship,  not  stop- 
ping for  any  kind  of  weather,  swimming  swollen  streams, 
and  going  over  snow  and  ice  for  hundreds  of  miles  to  at- 
tend the  annual  gatherings.  We  have  seen  them  transact 
their  business,  and  then  go  out  to  penetrate  to  the  remote 
settlements  on  the  frontier,  in  order  to  tell  them  of  Jesus 
and  his  love.  Before  the  farewell  word  is  spoken,  a  few 
earnest  prayers  are  offered,  and  then  the  faithful  band  of 
heroes  standing  in  some  ''upper  room,"  as  at  Green  Hill's, 
I  hear  them  sing  as  only  such  men  could  sing : 

And  let  our  bodies  part, 

To  different  climes  repair; 
Inseparably  joined  in  heart, 

The  friends  of  Jesus  are. 

Oh,  let  us  still  proceed, 

In  Jesus'  work  below; 
And,  following  our  triumphant  Head, 

To  further  conquests  go! 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

EDUCATION  AND  EARLY  METHODISM,   1780  TO  l8oO. 

The  Preacher  as  a  Factor  in  Education.  First  Contribution  to  a 
Methodist  School  in  America.  Cokesbury  School  on  the  Yadkin. 
Founding  of  the  University.  Publishing  Interest,  First  Dis- 
cipline.   First  Periodical.     Sunday  Schools. 

It  has  often  been  said  that  "Methodism  was  born  in  a 
university."  While  we  doubt  the  correctness  of  the  state- 
ment, it  will  be  admitted  by  all  that  the  Methodist  Society 
had  its  origin  in  a  university,  and  that  its  founder  and 
many  of  the  early  preachers  were  educated  men.  Yet, 
it  is  doubtful  whether  there  ever  would  have  been  a 
Methodist  Church  if  Mr.  Wesley  had  not  felt  his  heart 
"strangely  warmed."  The  Methodist  societies,  after  that 
stood  more  for  a  revival  of  religion  than  for  anything 
else.  This  was  their  distinctive  element.  And  this  was 
the  cause  of  their  growth  into  a  Church  and  spreading 
around  the  world. 

But  while  Methodism  in  its  early  days  did  not  stand 
preeminently  for  education,  yet  it  has  been  a  great  educa- 
tional force  from  the  beginning.  The  Methodist  preacher 
has  been  quite  a  factor  in  education  since  he  first  put  foot 
on  North  Carolina  soil.  Judge  Gaston,  one  of  the  most 
eminent  jurists  of  his  day,  and  who  was  a  Roman  Cath- 
olic in  his  religion,  said  that  "the  Methodist  ministry  had 
done  more  to  improve  the  society  of  the  rural  districts 
than  any  other  class  of  men,  or  any  other  class  of  agencies 

(133) 


134  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

that  had  ever  been  brought  to  bear  on  this  subject."  The 
itinerant  preacher  went  everywhere,  into  the  most  obscure 
neighborhoods,  partaking  of  their  humble  hospitality,  and 
hence  coming  into  contact  with  the  poorest  class  of  so- 
ciety. Going  as  he  did  from  homes  of  culture  and  refine- 
ment, he  carried  with  him  their  manners  and  customs. 
The  first  visit  of  the  Methodist  preacher  often  marked  an 
epoch  in  the  home.  New  aspirations  were  kindled  in  the 
hearts  of  the  old  and  young,  as  they  sat  around  the  fire- 
side till  a  late  hour  of  the  night  and  heard  the  preacher 
talk  of  men  and  things  that  were  familiar  to  him.  Hence 
he  was  truly  an  educator  in  the  home.  Then  as  he  or- 
ganized churches  in  these  obscure  sections  of  the  state, 
bringing  the  people  together,  their  horizon  was  widened, 
and  a  great  moral  and  educational  force  was  started  in 
the  community,  a  force  that  was  uplifting  in  its  nature 
and  which  changed  the  whole  phase  of  society. 

The  first  effort  to  secure  a  Methodist  school  in  America 
was  made  in  North  Carolina.  On  June  18,  1780,  Mr. 
Asbury  preached  at  brother  Bustiaif  s  house  on  the  Ro- 
anoke Circuit  to  about  five  hundred  people.  John  Dickins 
was  on  the  circuit,  and  Asbury  in  speaking  of  him  says : 
"He  reasons  too  much,  is  a  man  of  great  piety,  great  skill 
in  learning,  drinks  in  Greek  and  Latin  swiftly;  yet  prays 
much  and  walks  close  with  God.  He  is  a  gloomy  coun- 
tryman of  mine,  and  very  diffident  of  himself."  On  Mon- 
day morning,  the  19th,  they  rose  early.  And  says  As- 
bury: "Brother  Dickins  drew  the  subscription  for  a 
Kingswood  School  in  America ;  this  was  what  came  out  a 
college  in  the  subscription  printed  by  Dr.  Coke.    Gabriel 


Education  and  Early  Methodism.  135 

Long  and  brother  Bustian  were  the  first  subscribers,  which 
I  hope  will  be  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  good  of  thou- 
sands."1 "This,"  says  Dr.  Abel  Stevens,  "was  the  first 
project  of  a  literary  institution  among  American  Meth- 
odists." So  we  see  that  one  of  the  first  interests  that 
claimed  the  attention  of  the  pioneers  of  Methodism  was 
the  cause  of  education. 

At  this  time,  1780,  the  location  of  the  school  had  not 
been  selected.  Whether  the  money  contributed  by  Long 
and  Bustian  went  toward  the  erection  of  Cokesbury  Col- 
lege in  Maryland  or  was  applied  to  the  Cokesbury  School 
on  the  Yadkin,  we  are  unable  to  say.  No  doubt  it  was  the 
understanding  of  the  above  subscribers  that  the  school 
was  to  be  situated  somewhere  in  this  section.  But  the 
war  with  Great  Britain  was  fiercely  raging,  and  this  was 
four  years  before  Methodism  in  America  became  an  inde- 
pendent Church.  However,  "the  projected  school  for 
North  Carolina  has  not  been  given  up,"  says  Dr.  Cum- 
mings,  "though  the  original  subscription  has  been  used 
for  a  large  undertaking."2  By  this  statement  Dr.  Cum- 
mings  evidently  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  original  design 
was  to  establish  a  school  in  North  Carolina.  Perhaps  the 
war,  and  the  disorganized  state  of  the  Society  at  that 
time,  retarded  the  progress  of  the  enterprise;  but  some 
time  previous  to  1793  a  Methodist  school  was  established 
in  what  is  now  Davie  county,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Yad- 
kin River,  near  Phelps's  Ferry.     It  was  called  Cokesbury 


^sbury's  Journal,  Vol.  I.,  page  397. 

2"History  of  Early  Schools  of  Methodism,"  page  72. 


136  Methodism  in  North  Caralina. 

School.  In  1793  James  Parks  was  elder  on  a  district  em- 
bracing Yadkin,  Salisbury,  and  Anson  circuits.  And  the 
Conference,  which  convened  December  9,  1793,  regarded 
this  Cokesbury  School  on  the  Yadkin  of  so  much  im- 
portance that  James  Parks  was  taken  from  the  district 
and  appointed  as  principal  of  this  school  for  1794. 

Bishop  Asbury  visited  the  school,  April  2,  1794,  and 
made  the  following  entry  in  his  Journal:  "After  preach- 
ing (at  E.'s  meetinghouse  and  at  Whitaker's)  I  came  to 
Cokesbury  School  at  Hardy  Jones's;  it  is  twenty  feet 
square,  two  stories  high,  well  set  out  with  doors  and  win- 
dows ;  this  house  is  not  too  large  as  some  others  are ;  it 
stands  on  a  beautiful  eminence,  and  overlooks  the  low- 
lands and  river  Yadkin."  The  fact  that  this  building  was 
well  lighted  with  windows  made  an  impression  on  the 
bishop,  because  there  were  few  churches  or  schools,  in  the 
early  days  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina,  that  had  such 
a  convenience.  Thirty  years  after  this  Dr.  Olin  taught 
his  first  school  in  South  Carolina,  in  an  academy  that  had 
no  windows.  At  the  close  of  this  year,  1794,  James  Parks 
located,  and  whether  he  continued  the  school  after  this, 
we  have  been  unable  to  learn.  It  was  at  any  rate  short- 
lived, for  when  Bishop  Asbury  visited  the  place  again  in 
1799  he  made  this  statement  in  his  Journal:  "I  said  but 
little  at  the  academical  schoolhouse,  now  a  house  of  God." 

James  Parks,  who  was  the  principal  of  this  school,  mar- 
ried Hardy  Jones's  daughter.  He  was  a  very  strong 
preacher  as  well  as  teacher.  Jeremiah  Ellis  who  was  liv- 
ing at  a  very  advanced  age  in  1889  when  the  writer  was 
investigating  the  location  of  this  school,  and  who  lived  in 


Education  and  Early  Methodism.  137 

two  miles  of  this  place,  said  that  he  went  with  his  father, 
who  was  a  local  preacher,  to  Ward's  camp  ground  about 
the  year  18 12,  and  heard  Parks  preach  two  wonderful 
sermons.  They  made  such  an  impression  upon  him  that 
he  still  remembered  the  texts.  Parks  finally  moved  to 
Jonesville  and  established  a  school  there,  and  there  are  old 
people  in  that  community  who  still  remember  James 
Parks.  He  had  four  sons  who  became  preachers.  And 
one  of  his  sons,  Martin  P.  Parks,  was  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  orators  of  his  day. 

The  first  Methodist  college  in  the  world  was  Cokesbury 
College  at  Abington,  Maryland,  which  was  begun  in  1784. 
and  named  in  honor  of  the  first  two  bishops — Coke  and 
Asbury.  And  the  Cokesbury  School  in  North  Carolina 
was  perhaps  named  after  Cokesbury  College,  and  was  the 
first  Methodist  school  in  North  Carolina,  and  the  first 
Conference  school  in  America.  Bethel  Academy  in  Ken- 
tucky is  claimed  to  be  the  first  Conference  school,  but  by 
reference  to  Asbury's  Journal,  Volume  II.,  page  193,  on 
April  23,  1793,  he  makes  this  entry:  "I  was  at  Bethel, — 
the  place  intended  for  a  school."  So  we  see  that  Bethel 
Academy  was  not  in  operation  at  this  time,  while  Cokes- 
bury School  was  evidently  in  a  flourishing  condition. 
Rev.  M.  H.  Moore,  while  on  the  Anson  Circuit  in  1886, 
found  a  Latin-Greek  grammar  which  was  used  in  Cokes- 
bury School  in  1793.1  This  not  only  shows  that  the 
school  was  running  in  1793,  but  that  it  was  a  classical 
school  at  that  time,  where  Greek  and  Latin  were  taught. 

1On  the  fly  leaf  was  written  "George  McClosky,  Cokesbury 
School,  Rowan  Co.,  Aug.  9,  1793." 


138  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

As  to  its  location,  Bishop  Asbury  says  it  was  at  Hardy 
Jones's.  The  writer,  while  on  the  Mocksville  Circuit  in 
1889,  learned  from  old  persons  still  living  in  the  com- 
munity the  exact  location  of  Hardy  Jones's  house,  and 
upon  visiting  the  spot  where  the  old  house  stood,1  he 
found  the  "beautiful  eminence  overlooking  the  lowlands 
and  river  Yadkin,"  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Asbury.  Here  is 
an  old  graveyard,  where  doubtless  the  dead  were  buried 
during  the  time  the  building  was  used  as  a  "house  of 
God." 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  more  of  this  old  school 
on  the  Yadkin,  who  were  its  patrons,  teachers,  students, 
etc.  It  is  strange  that  so  few  of  our  early  Church  his- 
torians have  mentioned  this  pioneer  institution,  which  is 
beyond  question  the  first  Conference  school  in  America. 
It  began  its  work  previous  to  the  University  of  North 
Carolina,  which  was  opened  in  1795.  When  Bishop  As- 
bury made  a  visit  here  in  1800  he  wrote:  "We  were 
treated  with  great  respect  at  the  university  (North  Caro- 
lina) by  President  Caldwell,  the  students,  citizens,  and 
many  of  the  country  people.  When  the  university  is  fin- 
ished, I  shall  take  notice  of  it."  There  may  have  been 
other  Methodist  schools  in  North  Carolina  during  the 
eighteenth  century;  but  if  so,  we  have  been  unable  to  find 
any  trace  of  them. 

Not  only  does  North  Carolina  claim  that  the  first  educa- 
tional movement  in  American  Methodism  was  conceived 

'This  visit  was  made  in  company  with  Rev.  H.  M.  Blair,  ,who 
was  at  that  time  on  the  Farmington  Circuit,  and  who  assisted  much 
in  the  research  and  was  greatly  pleased  at  the  discovery. 


Education  and  Early  Methodism.  139 

in  North  Carolina,  but  that  her  first  publishing  interest 
was  projected  from  this  state.  The  early  Methodist 
preachers  realized  that  there  was  an  elevating  and  edu- 
cational force  in  good  literature.  Hence,  "the  Metho- 
dist Book  Concern  had  its  origin  in  the  theory  that  a 
Church  must  furnish  a  religious  literature  for  its  people. 
The  Church  must  not  only  be  devoted,  but  to  secure  its 
highest  good  and  usefulness  it  must  be  intelligent.  This 
intelligence  is  necessary  in  accomplishing  the  work  as- 
signed it  by  Providence,  and  where  intelligence  has  been 
allied  to  vital  godliness,  Christianity  has  moved  forward 
with  the  steps  of  certitude."  Mr.  Wesley  was  a  great 
writer  and  publisher,  and  he  required  his  preachers  to  cir- 
culate good  books  as  a  part  of  their  work.  Following  this 
example,  Robert  Williams,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Metho- 
dism in  North  Carolina,  published  Mr.  Wesley's  sermons 
and  some  tracts,  and  circulated  them  where  he  went  as 
far  as  possible. 

The  Discipline  in  its  present  form1  was  prepared  for 
publication  in  1786  by  John  Dickins,  who  was  at  that 
time  on  the  Bertie  Circuit.  It  is  quite  probable  that  he 
lived  near  Halifax  in  his  own  house,  where  he  located  in 
1780.  On  March  25,  1786,  we  find  Mr.  Asbury  making 
the  following  entry  in  his  Journal :  "Read  our  form  of 
Discipline,  in  manuscript,  which  brother  Dickins  has  been 
preparing  for  the  press."  This  edition  of  the  Discipline 
was  published  in  1787,  and  was  the  third  edition;  the  first 
being  published  in  1785  in  Philadelphia,  and  the  second 

1Previous  to  this  time  the  Discipline  was  in  the  form  of  ques- 
tions and  answers. 


I40  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

in  1786.  These  editions  were  bound  up  with  the  Sunday 
Service  sent  over  by  Mr.  Wesley  for  the  use  of  the  Church 
in  America,  and  were  in  the  form  of  questions  and  an- 
swers. But  the  edition  prepared  by  John  Dickins  was  di- 
vided into  sections  with  appropriate  heads.  It  was  pub- 
lished in  pamphlet  form,  and  is  the  most  rare  of  any  edi- 
tion published.  This  book  would  be  of  special  interest 
to  the  Methodists  of  North  Carolina,  as  it  was  prepared 
by  one  of  its  circuit  preachers. 

The  Church  up  to  this  time  had  no  organized  plan  of 
publication.  There  is  no  record  of  any  Conference  action 
on  the  subject,  until  the  Conference  held  in  1787.  The 
subject  of  Church  literature  was  discussed,  which  re- 
sulted in  a  resolution  to  print  such  books  as  the  Confer- 
ence might  designate.1 

In  1789  John  Dickins,  who  was  stationed  in  Philadel- 
phia, was  appointed  Book  Steward,  and  with  a  capital  of 
$600,  of  his  own  money,  he  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
great  Methodist  Book  Concern.  The  first  book  printed 
was  "Christian  Pattern,''  by  Thomas  a  Kempis.  Other 
books  were  published  during  the  same  year,  viz. :  "Saints' 
Everlasting  Rest,"  the  "Methodist  Discipline,"  a  hymn 
book,  Mr.  Wesley's  "Primitive  Physic,"  and  the  Armin- 
ian  Magazine.  The  last  named  was  the  first  Methodist 
periodical  published  in  America.  It  was  a  monthly  maga- 
zine, and  this  was  also  launched  from  North  Carolina. 
At  a  Conference  at  McKnight's  meetinghouse,  which  is 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Yadkin  River  near  Clemmonsville, 


"'Statistical  History  of  Methodism,"  page  58. 


Education  and  Early  Methodism.  141 

which  convened  on  April  10,  1789,  this  new  enterprise 
was  started.  The  preface,  addressed  to  subscribers,  con- 
tained four  pages,  and  was  signed  "Thomas  Coke,  Fran- 
cis Asbury,  North  Carolina,  April  10th,  1789";  showing 
that  the  preface  was  written  and  signed  at  this  Confer- 
ence, which  Thomas  Ware  says  "was  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting Conferences  he  had  attended.  Great  grace 
rested  on  both  preachers  and  people,  and  much  good  re- 
sulted." Asbury  says,  "We  had  weighty  matters  for  con- 
sideration before  us."  Each  magazine  contained  a  ser- 
mon on  some  doctrinal  subject.  Coke's  and  Asbury 's 
Journals  are  run  through  several  issues,  and  much  valua- 
ble information  on  various  subjects  is  found  in  every 
number.  But  at  the  expiration  of  two  years,  for  some 
reason,  perhaps  for  the  lack  of  funds,  it  was  suspended. 

In  1797  another  periodical  was  published  by  order  of 
the  General  Conference  of  1796,  with  the  title  of  "The 
Methodist  Magazine:'  It  bore  the  following  imprint: 
"Sold  by  John  Dickins,  No.  50,  North  Second  Street, 
Philadelphia,  and  by  the  Methodist  ministers  and  preach- 
ers throughout  the  United  States."  It  was  published 
until  the  death  of  Dickins  in  1798.  These  magazines 
are  the  monuments  to  the  intelligence  and  energy  of  the 
early  itinerants. 

The  Book  Concern  did  not  publish  another  periodical 
until  1 8 18,  when  it  brought  out  again  The  Methodist 
Magazine.  However,  during  this  time  many  books  and 
tracts  were  published  and  distributed  among  the  people 
by  the  circuit  rider.  Perhaps  the  poor  mail  facilities  of 
that  day  rendered  it  difficult  to  reach  subscribers  with  any 


142  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

regularity,  with  a  weekly  or  monthly  publication.  But 
the  standard  works  were  purchased  and  read  more  at  that 
time  than  at  a  later  day.  As  a  result  the  people  were 
strongly  indoctrinated,  and  as  a  rule  were  enabled  to  give 
a  reason  for  the  hope  that  was  in  them.  The  reading  of 
such  books  as  those  carried  in  the  saddlebags  of  a  Meth- 
odist preacher  has  had  a  wonderful  influence  in  the  home, 
in  the  Church,  and  in  the  state.  No  man  can  at  this  day 
calculate  the  momentum  of  such  an  educational  force  as 
that  started  by  John  Dickins  in  1789.  He  managed  the 
business  for  ten  years,  and  died  in  Philadelphia,  leaving 
the  Methodist  Book  Concern  as  an  enduring  monument. 
He  died  of  a  malignant  fever  on  September  27,  1798, 
shouting,  "Glory  be  to  God !  I  would  not  give  such  sweet 
communion  for  all  the  world."  The  results  of  his  labors 
in  North  Carolina,  preaching,  drawing  the  plan  for  the 
first  Methodist  school  in  America,  writing  the  Discipline, 
and  publishing  good  books  to  the  end  of  his  days,  will  not 
be  fully  known  until  the  light  of  eternity  shall  flash  over 
the  past,  when  we  shall  know  even  as  we  are  known. 

About  this  time  the  Methodists  began  to  utilize  another 
educational  force,  which  has  been  a  power  in  the  Church 
from  that  day  to  this ;  and  that  is  the  Sunday  school, 
which  was  introduced  in  America  by  Bishop  Asbury  in 
1786.  Previous  to  this  time  it  had  become  a  power  for 
good  in  England. 

As  early  as  1769  a  young  Methodist,  Hannah  Ball,  es- 
tablished a  Sunday  school  in  Wycombe,  England,  and 
was  instrumental  in  training  many  children  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Holy  Scriptures.     Doubtless  similar  attempts 


Education  and  Early  Methodism.  143 

were  made  before  that  time,  but  they  were  only  anticipa- 
tions of  the  modern  institution  of  Sunday  schools.  In 
1 78 1,  while  another  Methodist  young  woman  (afterwards 
the  wife  of  the  celebrated  lay  preacher,  Samuel  Bradburn) 
was  conversing  in  Gloucester  with  Robert  Raikes,  a  be- 
nevolent citizen  of  that  town  and  publisher  of  the  Glouces- 
ter Journal,  he  pointed  to  groups  of  neglected  children  in 
the  street,  and  asked,  "What  can  we  do  for  them?"  She 
answered,  "Let  us  teach  them  to  read  and  take  them  to 
church."  He  immediately  proceeded  to  try  the  sugges- 
tion, and  the  philanthropist  and  his  female  friend  attended 
the  first  company  of  Sunday-school  scholars  to  the  church, 
exposed  to  the  comments  and  laughter  of  the  populace  as 
they  passed  along  the  street  with  their  ragged  procession. 
Such  was  the  origin  of  our  present  Sunday  school,  an  in- 
stitution which  has  done  more  for  the  Church  and  the 
social  improvement  of  Protestant  communities  than  any 
other  agency  of  modern  times,  the  pulpit  excepted. 
Raikes  and  his  humble  assistant  conducted  the  experiment 
without  ostentation.  Not  till  November  3,  1783,  did  he 
refer  to  it  in  his  public  journal.  In  1784  he  published  in 
that  paper  an  account  of  his  plan.  This  sketch  imme- 
diately arrested  the  attention  of  Wesley,  who  inserted  the 
entire  article  in  the  January  number  of  the  Arminian 
Magazine  for  1785,  and  exhorted  his  people  to  adopt  the 
new  institution.  "They  took  his  advice,"  says  an  his- 
torian of  Methodism,  and  "laboring,  hard-working  men 
and  women  began  to  instruct  their  neighbors'  children, 
and  to  go  with  them  to  the  house  of  God  on  the  Lord's 
day."    Wesley,  in  speaking  of  them  in  his  Journal,  seems 


144  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

to  have  the  gift  of  prophecy  when  he  says :  "I  find  these 
schools  springing  up  wherever  I  go;  perhaps  God  may 
have  a  deeper  end  therein  than  men  are  aware  of;  who 
knows  but  some  of  these  schools  may  be  nurseries  for 
Christians?" 

"Thus  is  Methodism  historically  connected  with  both 
the  initiation  and  outspread  of  this  important  institution. 
Under  the  impulse  of  its  zeal  the  Sunday  school  was  soon 
almost  universally  established  in  its  Societies."   So  we  see 
that  Methodism  from  the  beginning  took  the  Sunday  school 
by  the  hand.    To  Bishop  Asbury  belongs  the  honor  of  pro- 
jecting the  first  Sunday  school  ever  established  on  the 
American  continent.    This  school  was  organized  in  1786 
in  Hanover  county,  Virginia.    It  was  not  until  1791  that 
the   good   Bishop   White,    of   the   Protestant   Episcopal 
Church,  began  a  Sunday  school  in  Philadelphia.     The 
work  did  not  make  much  progress,  however,  until  after 
the  Conference  in  1790.  At  this  Conference  the  following 
was  adopted :  "Let  us  labor,  as  the  heart  and  soul  of  one 
man,  to  establish  Sunday  schools  in  or  near  the  place  of 
public  worship.    Let  persons  be  appointed  by  the  bishops, 
elders,  deacons,  or  preachers  to  teach   (gratis)   all  that 
will  attend  and  have  a  capacity  to  learn ;  from  six  o'clock 
in  the  morning  till  ten,  and  from  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon till  six ;  where  it  does  not  interfere  with  public  wor- 
ship.    The  Council  shall  compile  a  proper  schoolbook,  to 
teach  them  learning  and  piety."1 

From  this  time  Sunday  schools  were  established  in 


'Lee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  163. 


Education  and  Early  Methodism.  145 

many  places,  and  were  fairly  well  attended,  and  especially 
so  by  the  colored  population.  The  chief  object  of  the 
Sunday  school  then  was  to  give  the  children  an  education 
and  to  keep  them  from  mischief.  The  modern  idea  of  the 
Sunday  school,  that  of  saving  souls,  had  not  entered  into 
the  question.  The  requirements  made  upon  the  teachers 
were  too  great  for  the  compensation  received,  as  they 
thought ;  so  they  soon  gave  it  up  as  an  institution  of  learn- 
ing. It  soon  became  more  and  more  religious,  until  the 
chief  object  was  to  lead  the  children  to  Jesus.  Yet  it  has 
been  a  great  educational  force  all  through  the  years.  This 
little  stream,  that  was  started  more  than  a  century  ago, 
has  "widened,  and  deepened,  and  swept  onward,  until  it 
has  borne  upon  its  bosom  the  blessing  of  heaven  to  almost 
every  land." 
10 


CHAPTER  IX. 

DEVELOPMENT    IN    EASTERN    NORTH    CAROLINA,    1 784    TO 

1792. 

Here  Methodism  First  Introduced.  James  Martin.  Richard  Ivey. 
David  Haggard.  Henry  Birchett.  Bishop  Asbury's  Visit — In 
1785  He  Visits  Winton — Newbern — Beaufort — Bell's  Chapel — 
Washington.  Dempsey  and  Sarah  Hinton.  Methodism  Planted 
in  Washington.  James  Hinton.  Revival.  Ralph  Potts.  Enoch 
George.  John  Baldwin.  Aquila  Sugg.  John  Burton.  John 
Sproul.  Joseph  Moore.  Mattamuskeet  Circuit  Formed.  Daniel 
Shines.  Many  Located  because  of  Financial  Embarrassment. 
Fund  for  Superannuates.  Days  of  Sacrifice.  Heroines  of  Meth- 
odism. 

In  this  section  Methodism  was  first  introduced  into  the 
state ;  and  in  another  chapter  we  followed  Edward  Drom- 
goole  and  Jesse  Lee  into  this  territory,  where  Lee  in  his 
Journal  says  the  Camden  Circuit  was  formed,  but  it  ap- 
pears on  the  minutes  as  Pasquotank.  The  next  year  it 
was  changed  to  Camden.  In  1783  the  circuit  had  only 
twenty-two  members,  but  in  1784  it  reported  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty,  and  appears  on  the  minutes  as  Camden  and 
Banks.  This  is  the  first  time  The  Banks  appears  on  the 
list  of  appointments.  The  large  number  reported  so  soon 
after  the  formation  of  the  circuit  is  no  doubt  due  to  the 
fact  that  many  who  were  already  in  the  Society  had  emi- 
grated into  this  section  from  other  parts  of  the  country. 
Little  is  known  of  many  of  these  early  preachers.  James 
Martin  joined  the  Conference  in  1780,  and  was  appointed 
to  the  Kent  Circuit;  in  1781,  Mecklenburg;  1782,  Ro- 
(146) 


Development  in  the  East.  147 

anoke;  1783,  Pasquotank;  1784,  Portsmouth;  and  for 
some  cause  at  the  close  of  this  year  he  located.  Henry 
Metcalf  was  admitted  in  1783,  and  that  year  served  as 
second  man  on  the  Pasquotank.  We  learn  from  the  min- 
utes that  he  died  in  1784.  Asbury,  in  speaking  of  him, 
says,  "A  man  of  sorrowful  spirit  and  under  constant 
heaviness." 

In  1784  Richard  Ivey  served  the  Camden  Circuit.  He 
was  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  early  Methodism.  He 
spent  eighteen  years  in  the  ministry,  his  labors  extending 
over  a  territory  from  the  north  of  New  Jersey  to  the 
southern  part  of  Georgia.  He  was  admitted  in  1777; 
and  in  1778  he  served  Fluvania;  1779,  Brunswick;  1780, 
Pittsylvania;  1781,  Kent;  1782,  West  Jersey;  1783,  Nan- 
semond;  1784,  Camden;  1785-6,  presiding  elder  in  North 
Carolina;  1787,  presiding  elder  in  Georgia,  and  contin- 
ued to  labor  in  that  frontier  field  for  four  years,  when  his 
health  failed.  He  moved  back  to  Virginia,  and  after 
lingering  a  short  while  he  went  home  to  his  reward. 
Bishop  Asbury  spent  the  night  of  January  20,  1784,  in 
company  with  Ivey,  Baldwin,  and  Morris.  He  says,  "The 
work  revives ;  many  are  brought  to  God ;  and  I  am  com- 
forted."1 

In  1784  The  Banks  appears  as  a  separate  appointment, 
with  David  Haggard  as  its  pastor.  He  had  just  been 
admitted  into  the  Conference.  In  1788  he  served  the 
Anson  Circuit;  1789,  Halifax;  1790,  he  and  Henry  Birch- 
ett  were  appointed  to  the  Lexington  Circuit  in  Kentucky. 

'Asbury's  Journal,  Vol.  I.,  page  468. 


148  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

He  returned  to  North  Carolina  in  1793  and  was  appointed 
to  Salisbury;  after  which  his  name  disappears  from  the 
minutes.  He  returned  to  eastern  Carolina  and  connected 
himself  with  O'Kelly,  "but  finally  joined  the  New  Lights 
and  died  in  their  communion.1  In  1789  we  find  the  fol- 
lowing circuits  in  this  section  of  the  state :  Pamlico,  Ro- 
anoke, Bertie,  and  Camden,  aggregating  a  membership  of 
1,692  whites  and  426  colored.  Pamlico  was  formed  this 
year  (1789),  and  embraced  all  that  territory  between  the 
Pamlico  River  and  Albemarle  Sound. 

Henry  Birchett,  who  was  on  the  Bertie  Circuit,  Was 
admitted  on  trial  in  1788,  and  was  a  young  man  of  great 
courage  and  ability.  He  was  a  Virginian  by  birth.  He 
was  reared  amid  all  the  luxuries  of  life,  but  being  called 
to  preach  he  gave  up  a  life  of  ease  for  one  of  toil  and 
hardship.  This  was  no  ordinary  sacrifice  at  that  day. 
After  serving  two  years  in  North  Carolina,  the  call  was 
made  for  ministerial  help  in  Kentucky  and  Mr.  Birchett 
volunteered  to  go  to  that  distant  and  dangerous  field.  In 
all  the  circuits  that  he  traveled  he  was  eminently  success- 
ful. He  had  fine  talents,  and  was  an  excellent  preacher. 
"For  many  years  after  he  had  entered  into  rest,  his  mem- 
ory was  green  and  his  name  was  fragrant  among  the 
people."2 

Bishop  Asbury  passed  through  this  section  in  1784; 
spent  a  night  at  Colonel  Williams's  in  Currituck  county. 
"On  Sunday,  January  21st,  preached  to  about  five  hun- 
dred people  at  Coin  jock  Chapel ;  on  Tuesday  at  Winfield 

'Collins's  "Kentucky,"  page  126. 
""Motliorlism  in  Kentucky,"  page  73. 


Development  in  the  East.  149 

Courthouse  to  about  six  or  seven  hundred,  inattentive  and 
wild  enough."  From  here  he  went  to  Nixonton.  He  ob- 
serves that  "spirituous  liquor  is  and  will  be  a  curse  to  this 
people."  On  Wednesday  he  went  in  the  rain  to  Hertford, 
where  he  "spoke  in  a  tavern."  "The  people  seemed  wild 
and  wicked  enough."  He  visited  Edenton,  where  he 
found  Mr.  Pettigrew  and  was  much  pleased  with  him, 
and  where  he  says  he  preached  "to  a  gay,  inattentive  peo- 
ple." From  here  he  crossed  the  Chowan  River,  journey- 
ing through  Bertie,  Hertford,  and  Northampton  counties, 
and  preaching  to  large  congregations. 

In  1785  we  find  the  bishop  at  Winton,  making  his  way 
south  to  Newbern.  On  the  way  he  encountered  much 
water.  The  streams  and  swamps  were  swollen  from  re- 
cent rains.  He  says,  "We  had  to  wade  several  deep  and 
dangerous  swamps."  He  preached  at  Newbern  on  "The 
world  by  wisdom  knew  not  God."  He  says,  "The  Assem- 
bl)r  was  in  session,  and  some  of  the  members  were 
friendly."  Wednesday,  21st  December — "Sailed  down  to 
Beaufort  and  preached  in  the  church:  the  people  were 
kind,  but  have  very  little  religion."  The  church  referred 
to  was  "a  quaint,  old-fashioned  affair"  that  belonged  to 
the  Established  Church,  but  after  the  Revolutionary  War 
was  used  by  the  preachers  of  the  different  denominations, 
and  also  used  for  school  purposes."1 

After  preaching,  the  bishop  pushed  down  to  the  Straits, 
and  on  the  next  day  preached  at  Straits  Chapel ;  returned 
to  Beaufort  and  preached  again,  after  which  he  sailed 

^ev.  R.  F.  B.umpass  in  Conference  Historical  Publication, 
page  91. 


150  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

back  to  Colonel  Bell's.  Colonel  Bell,  his  wife,  and  her 
sister  were  the  first  Methodists  in  all  this  section;  and 
in  the  great  revival  that  swept  over  this  country  in  the 
early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  his  two  sons,  Caleb 
and  Jacob,  were  gloriously  converted,  called  to  preach, 
joined  the  Conference,  and  wielded  a  wonderful  influence 
for  good  both  in  this  country  and  in  the  west.  Bell's 
Chapel  was  one  of  the  first  Methodist  meetinghouses  in 
all  that  section. 

On  Saturday  and  Sunday,  December  24th  and  25th, 
the  bishop  held  a  quarterly  meeting  at  Swansbury,  where 
he  says  they  had  "many  people,"  but  "little  religion."  It 
has  been  asserted  that  Bishop  Asbury  organized  a  society 
in  Washington  as  early  as  1784,  but  he  makes  no  mention 
of  stopping  in  that  vicinity  at  so  early  a  date.  However, 
there  were  Methodists  in  the  village  about  that  time ;  and 
if  not  organized  before,  it  was  taken  into  Pamlico  Circuit 
in  1789. 

Before  the  Revolutionary  War,  among  the  first  con- 
verts of  the  Methodist  preachers  on  Deep  River  were 
Dempsy  and  Sarah  Hinton.  Previous  to  this  time  they 
had  been  strict  disciples  of  another  and  a  more  accom- 
modating creed.  They  became  at  once  very  zealous  in 
spreading  their  new-found  faith.  About  this  time  the 
quiet  of  the  country  in  the  Deep  River  section  was  broken 
up  by  frequent  depredations  of  the  Tories.  Dempsy  Hin- 
ton felt  much  alarmed  at  the  repeated  trespasses  of  these 
royal  robbers,  and  believed  that  it  was  unsafe  for  him 
longer  to  remain  under  his  own  roof.  In  looking  for 
some  retired  place  of  safety,  he  selected  the  then  small 


Development  in  the  East.  151 

town  of  Washington,  where  he  located.  An  old  manu- 
script says  he  found  no  religious  organization  there. 
However  that  may  be,  Dempsy  and  Sarah  Hinton  carried 
their  "household  gods"  with  them.  The  story  of  the 
cross  was  told  in  Methodistic  fashion,  and  the  cold,  irre- 
ligious social  life  of  the  town  began  to  give  way  under  the 
influence  of  the  spiritual  life  and  earnest  exhortations  of 
the  Hinton  family. 

As  soon  as  they  had  completed  arrangements  for  their 
temporal  welfare,  they  erected  their  altar  and  then  gave 
the  banners  of  Methodism  to  the  breeze.  They  did  not 
seek  the  rich  and  influential  of  the  town,  but  toiled  with 
the  honest  poor,  to  lead  them  to  Christ.  The  songs  of 
Zion  as  sung  by  these  earnest  people  attracted  much 
attention.  The  fire  soon  spread  to  the  neighborhoods 
of  New  Hope,  Little  and  Durham's  creeks.  Thus  was 
Methodism  planted  in  the  beautiful  little  city  on  the  Pam- 
lico; and  Dempsy  and  Sarah  Hinton  were  its  first  stand- 
ard-bearers. 

We  are  not  surprised  that  such  a  family  should  give  an 
itinerant  preacher  to  early  Methodism.  James  Hinton 
was  admitted  on  trial  in  1783,  and  appointed  to  the  Salis- 
bury Circuit;  1784,  Wilmington;  1785,  Halifax;  and  lo- 
cated in  1786.  He  was  a  son  of  Dempsy  and  Sarah  Hin- 
ton, and  it  has  been  stated  that  he  "early  wore  himself 
out  in  the  vineyard  of  his  Master." 

Sarah  Hinton  soon  became  the  chief  corner  stone  of  the 
society.  Her  light  shone  out  in  the  community  as  from 
a  hilltop.  Her  liberality  and  charity  were  bounded  only 
by  her  ability.    She  not  only  gave  of  her  means,  and  sang 


IS2  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

and  prayed,  but  she  would  exhort  most  earnestly  on  every 
possible  occasion.  What  such  godly  women  have  done 
for  Methodism  eternity  alone  will  reveal. 

This  faithful  little  band  toiled  on  with  but  slight  en- 
couragement until  1 79 1,  when  they  were  visited  with  the 
first  revival  that  had  ever  come  upon  the  town.  It  was 
considered  a  great  revival.  Many  of  the  old  settlers  of 
the  place  professed  religion  and  joined  the  Society,  which 
was  greatly  strengthened  financially  and  every  other  way. 
Methodism  had  a  high  social  standing  at  once.  Converts 
were  active  in  church  work,  and  many  were  ready  to  ren- 
der any  service. 

This  great  revival  was  followed  by  a  reaction  that  was 
calculated  to  stagger  the  most  faithful.  There  was  much 
apostasy  even  among  the  leading  characters  of  the 
Church.  Among  the  backsliders  were  a  class  leader  and 
an  exhorter.  Men  had  been  put  in  as  leaders  for  their 
social  standing  without  much  regard  to  their  piety.  At 
this  critical  moment  two  men  moved  into  the  town,  and 
their  arrival  resulted  largely  in  the  salvation  of  Wash- 
ington. Ralph  Potts  came  from  Portsmouth,  Virginia, 
and  Thomas  Roberson  from  England.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Wesleyan  Connection,  and  when  he  reached  Wash- 
ington he  united  at  once  with  the  Society.  Methodism 
in  Washington  owes  more  to  Ralph  Potts  than  to  any 
other  one  man.  In  1798  the  first  meetinghouse  was 
erected  by  Ralph  Potts,  who  purchased  the  lot  and  built 
the  house  almost  unaided  by  any  other  person;  and  in 
June.    1806,   he   deeded   it  to  the   Methodist   Episcopal 


Development  in  the  East.  153 

Church.1  The  church  was  located  on  the  east  side  of 
Market  street,  near  the  courthouse.  Bishop  Asbury  vis- 
ited the  place  in  1801,  and  he  speaks  of  the  "handsome 
chapel  thirty  feet  square."  He  made  another  visit  to 
Washington  in  1802,  and  refers  to  the  "hospitable  shelter 
of  Ralph  Potts,  where  we  had  all  things  richly  to  enjoy." 
He  further  says :  "I  judged  it  highly  expedient  that  Ro- 
anoke and  Pamlico  circuits  should  be  divided,  and  that 
Washington  should  have  Sabbath  preaching  every  week: 
it  is  a  growing  town  of  one  hundred  houses,  and  there  is 
a  good  house  for  public  worship." 

The  Pamlico  Circuit,  which  was  formed  in  1789,  had 
for  its  preachers  in  1790  Henry  Ledbetter  and  Enoch 
George,  who  was  afterwards  made  bishop.  Mr.  George, 
in  speaking  of  this  circuit  and  his  work  there,  says :  "I 
soon  heard  that  Pamlico  Circuit,  extending  from  Pamlico 
to  Roanoke  Sound,  and  embracing  as  sickly  a  region  as 
any  in  North  Carolina,  was  to  be  the  sphere  of  my  labor. 
This  sudden  transition,  from  the  foot  of  the  Black  Moun- 
tain to  the  margin  of  the  sea,  tried  my  faith ;  especially 
when  I  was  chilled  by  agues,  burned  by  fevers,  and,  in 
sickness  or  health,  beclouded  by  mosquitoes.  Here  I  la- 
bored until  my  friends  had  to  assist  me  in  mounting  and 
dismounting  my  horse.  Thus  I  was  made  partaker  in  the 
affliction  of  my  brethren.  My  friends  advised  me  to  spend 
a  few  weeks  in  a  more  congenial  climate,  that  my  health 
be  restored;  and  in  a  short  time,  by  the  good  hand  of 
my  God  upon  me,  I  was  able  to  travel  my  circuit.     We 

lrThe  deed  is  recorded  in  book  8,  page  177,  in  Clerk's  office  at 
Washington. 


154  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

had  some  gracious  visitations;  and  when  our  members 
professed  the  knowledge  of  salvation  by  the  remission  of 
sins,  the  horrid  monster  Persecution  reared  his  head,  and 
vented  his  rage."1 

The  enthusiasm  of  the  Methodists  often  brought  out 
opposition,  and  occasionally  the  persecutor  would  arise 
and  for  a  time  cause  much  excitement.  Methodism,  being 
a  revival  of  spiritual  life,  was  naturally  opposed  by  those 
who  had  nothing  but  a  form  of  Christianity.  This  class, 
at  the  time  George  traveled  the  Pamlico  Circuit,  predom- 
inated in  eastern  Carolina.  Mr.  George  gives  an  in- 
stance of  persecution  in  that  section : 

"A  minister  stirred  up  his  vestrymen  and  friends  to  ex- 
pel the  Methodists  from  an  old  church  in  which  they  had 
worshiped  God.  To  accomplish  their  design,  a  number  of 
gentlemen  (so  called)  placed  themselves  within  the  altar, 
armed  with  heavy  bludgeons,  and  their  leader  stood  be- 
hind me  in  the  window ;  and  when  the  service  commenced, 
he  ordered  us  to  depart,  as  we  were  dissenters  from  the 
Church.  An  old  man  who  was  zealous  for  Methodism 
arose  and  commanded  silence,  saying  that  in  the  days  of 
our  Lord  men  would  not  believe  on  him,  though  he  cast 
out  devils  and  did  many  marvelous  works.  The  perse- 
cutor replied,  'Let  that  man  cast  out  devils  and  I  will  be- 
lieve in  him.'  The  champion  of  Methodism  replied  to 
this,  with  some  severity,  'Sit  down,  and  listen  to  the  word 
of  the  Lord,  and  it  may  be  he  will  cast  many  out  of  you.' 
By  this  I  perceived  they  were  prepared  for  carnal  war- 

xMethodist  Magazine,  Vol.  XII.,  page  132. 


Development  in  the  East.  155 

fare,  and  for  the  sake  of  peace  I  begged  my  friends  to  fol- 
low me,  and  we  retired  and  finished  our  service  under  the 
canopy  of  heaven.  These  things  which  happened  unto  us 
fell  out  rather  to  the  furtherance  of  the  gospel;  and  the 
bitter  envying  and  strife  in  the  minister  received  its  re- 
ward. Religion  spread,  and  the  enemy  passed  his  church 
without  a  congregation.  Thus  he  and  his  were  filled  with 
their  own  ways." 

This  year  (1790)  Contentney  Circuit  appears  on  the 
minutes  for  the  first  time,  with  John  Baldwin  as  pastor. 
This  soon  became  one  of  the  best  circuits  in  that  section  of 
the  state.  It  embraced  portions  of  Green,  Pitt,  Craven, 
Lenoir,  and  Wayne  counties.  The  circuit  was  named  for 
a  creek  running  through  that  section.  At  this  time  most 
of  the  preaching  was  done  in  private  houses.  Among  the 
first  meetinghouses  built  in  this  circuit  were  Spain's  meet- 
inghouse near  Greenville  and  Rainbow  meetinghouse 
about  six  miles  southeast  of  the  present  town  of  Snow 
Hill. 

Of  the  pastor,  Rev.  John  Baldwin,  little  is  known.  He 
was  admitted  into  the  Conference  in  1782,  and  appointed 
to  South  Branch;  1783,  Bertie;  1784,  Yadkin;  1785,  Wil- 
mington; 1786,  Guilford;  1787,  New  Hope;  1788,  Salis- 
bury; 1789,  Holston;  1790,  Contentney;  1791,  Amelia; 
1792,  Brunswick;  1793,  Sussex;  Book  Steward  from 
1794  until  he  located  in  1798.  We  would  judge  from  the 
list  of  appointments  served  that  he  was  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  ability. 

In  1 79 1  Aquila  Sugg  was  appointed  to  the  Contentney 
Circuit.     A  writer  in  the  Christian  Advocate1  says,  "He 


156  Methodism  in  Nortli  Carolina. 

was  an  excellent  man,  and  his  labors  were  blessed."  An- 
other, in  describing  him,  informs  us  that  "he  was  about 
the  medium  size ;  of  a  feeble  constitution ;  plain  and  neat 
in  his  dress;  courteous  in  his  manners,  and  instructive  in 
his  conversation  with  others" ;  that  he  was  also  "an  easy, 
natural,  and  graceful  preacher,  and  seldom  failed  to  com- 
mand the  undivided  attention  of  his  hearers."  He  was 
admitted  on  trial  in  1788  and  appointed  to  Gloucester,  in 
Virginia.  The  two  following  years  he  traveled  on  the 
Great  Pedee  and  Edisto  circuits,  in  South  Carolina.  In 
1791  he  was  appointed  to  the  Contentney  Circuit;  1792, 
to  Salisbury;  1793,  New  Hope;  1794,  Trent;  1795,  trans- 
ferred to  Kentucky.  His  health  was  already  beginning  to 
fail,  so  after  trying  to  pursue  his  work  for  two  years,  he 
became  convinced  that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  retire 
from  the  itinerancy.  He  located  in  1797.  Judge  Scott 
says  of  him,  "He  retires  from  the  active  duties  of  a  work 
dearer  to  his  heart  than  life  itself." 

During  this  year  (1791)  John  Burton  began  his  min- 
isterial career  on  the  Bertie  Circuit.  "In  appearance,  Mr. 
Burton  was  tall  and  slender.  His  piety  was  fervent,  and 
he  was  zealous  and  effective  in  his  ministerial  labors.  His 
preaching  was  plain,  sound,  and  both  theoretical  and  prac- 
tical."2 After  spending  a  year  on  this  circuit,  the  three 
following  years  he  traveled  in  Virginia.  In  1795  he 
transferred  to  the  west,  as  so  many  others  did,  and  was 
appointed  to  Salt  River  Circuit  in  Kentucky.    In  1800  he 


'John  Carr,  in  Christian  Advocate,  February  12,  1857. 
2"Methodism  in  Kentucky,"  Vol.  I.,  page  184. 


Development  in  the  East.  157 

returned  to  the  Virginia  Conference,  and,  after  traveling 
successively  the  Sussex,  Mecklenburg,  and  Greenville,  the 
Portsmouth  and  Brunswick  circuits,  he  was  sent  to  the 
Richmond  District  as  presiding  elder.  In  1805  he  served 
the  Norfolk  District;  1806,  Salisbury  District;  1807-8, 
Newbern  District;  1809,  Norfolk  District;  1810-12,  Ra- 
leigh District;  1813,  Tar  River  District.  At  the  close  of 
this  year  he  located.  Mr.  Burton  was  held  in  high  esteem 
by  his  brethren,  as  is  shown  by  his  frequent  elections  to 
high  positions  of  trust.  He  was  a  member  of  the  General 
Conferences  of  1804,  1808,  and  1812. 

Pamlico  is  served  this  year  by  John  Sproul  and  Joseph 
Moore,  both  earnest  and  successful  workers.  The  career 
of  the  former  was  short,  but  active.  He  was  admitted  in 
1 790  and  appointed  to  the  Salisbury  Circuit ;  1 79 1 ,  Pam- 
lico; 1792,  Caswell;  and  during  this  year  he  died  sud- 
denly. The  minutes  have  this  to  say  of  him :  "John 
Sproul,  a  simple,  honest  man,  who  gave  himself  wholly 
to  God  and  his  work;  but  was  suddenly  taken  from  toil 
to  rest;  though  he  was  weak  in  body,  he  was  fervent  in 
spirit ;  and  we  venture  to  hope,  though  surprised  by  death, 
he  went  in  peace  to  his  eternal  home." 

Joseph  Moore  gave  a  long  and  faithful  service  to  the 
Church.  He  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1767,  but  in  his 
early  childhood  was  removed  to  Rutherford  county  in 
North  Carolina.  He  had  early  religious  training,  and 
was  licensed  to  preach  in  his  nineteenth  year.  He  began 
his  itinerant  career  on  the  Pamlico  Circuit  in  1791.  Mr. 
Moore  was  active  in  body  and  vigorous  in  mind.  The 
next  year  he  served  Yadkin.    For  fifteen  years  he  received 


158  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

appointments  regularly  at  the  hands  of  the  appointing 
power;  but  in  1806  he  asked  for  and  obtained  a  location. 
As  a  local  preacher  he  rendered  much  service  to  the 
Church.  In  1826  he  reentered  the  South  Carolina  Con- 
ference, and  was  appointed  to  Lincoln  Circuit.  He  gave 
eight  years  more  to  the  itinerant  ministry,  and  sustained 
a  superannuated  relation  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
on  February  14,  1851. 

In  1 79 1  the  Pamlico  Circuit  was  divided,  cutting  off  the 
eastern  part  and  forming  the  Mattamuskeet  Circuit.  It 
no  doubt  took  its  name  from  the  Lake  in  Hyde  county. 
Daniel  Shines  was  its  first  pastor.  From  the  information 
we  have,  he  only  served  in  the  itinerancy  for  five  years, 
locating  in  1795.  During  this  time  he  filled  the  following 
appointments:  West  New  River,  Mattamuskeet,  Goshen, 
and  Roanoke. 

It  is  sad  to  see  so  many  valuable  men  dropping  out  of 
the  itinerancy.  Of  course  it  is  understood  that  this  is 
due  to  the  lack  of  a  support.  It  was  almost  impossible  for 
a  married  man  to  do  the  work  of  the  itinerant  ministry. 
This  was  one  of  the  great  problems  of  the  early  Church, 
how  to  hold  these  valuable  men  in  the  itinerant  ranks. 
Losing  these  experienced  men  greatly  retarded  the  prog- 
ress of  the  Church.  During  the  four  years,  between  the 
General  Conference  of  1792  and  that  of  1796,  the  Church 
lost  by  location  one  hundred  and  six  preachers.  During 
the  Revolutionary  War,  Congress  for  a  long  time  neg- 
lected to  provide  a  pension  for  those  who  should  remain 
in  the  service  through  the  war,  and  many  of  the  best 
officers  left  when  their  experience  and  ability  rendered  it 


Development  in  the  East.  159 

most  desirable  to  keep  them  in  it.  This  distressed  General 
Washington,  who  remonstrated  with  Congress,  saying, 
"I  can  procure  plenty  of  officers,  but  they  could  not  sup- 
ply the  places  of  the  old  ones."  He  urged  that  it  was 
unreasonable  to  expect  men  to  spend  their  lives  in  the  pub- 
lic service  and  sacrifice  the  means  of  acquiring  a  support 
for  old  age,  and  make  no  provision  for  their  support.1 

If  this  is  true  of  a  soldier  who  serves  for  a  few  years  in 
the  service  of  his  country,  how  much  stronger  the  argu- 
ment for  the  care  of  these  itinerants  who  gave  their  lives 
for  the  cause  they  represented,  and  never  received  more 
than  a  bare  support.  The  Conference  realized  the  neces- 
sity of  providing  at  least  a  partial  support  for  those 
preachers  who  wore  themselves  out  in  its  service.  The 
General  Conference  of  1800  decided  to  continue  the  salary 
of  a  preacher  after  he  had  been  placed  upon  the  superan- 
nuate list.  Previous  to  the  General  Conference  in  1792 
the  preacher  was  only  paid  $64  a  year,  but  at  this  Con- 
ference it  was  decided  to  allow  him,  in  addition  to  his  sal- 
ary, his  traveling  expenses ;  such  expense  to  include  "fer- 
riage, horseshoeing,  and  provisions  for  themselves  and 
horses  on  the  road,  when  they  necessarily  rode  a  distance. 
Another  new  rule  was  made  allowing  the  preacher  to  re- 
ceive money  for  performing  the  marriage  ceremony, 
though  he  was  to  make  no  charge.  He  was  also  forbid- 
den to  receive  anything  for  administering  the  ordinance 
of  baptism  or  burying  the  dead. 

The  mercenary  reputation  of  the  clergy  in  the  Estab- 

1  "Life  of  Ware,"  page  223. 


160  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

lishecl  Church  had  driven  these  Methodist  preachers  to  the 
other  extreme.  For  many  years  they  suffered  the  incon- 
veniences brought  about  by  these  meager  salaries.  The 
object  of  these  rules,  in  giving  each  preacher  an  equal 
salary,  meager  as  it  was,  is  based  upon  a  worthy  motive. 
As  stated  by  one  of  our  historians,  the  object  was  "to  keep 
all  the  preachers  as  nearly  on  an  equal  footing  as  possible 
in  their  money  matters,  that  there  might  be  no  jealousies 
or  envyings  among  us;  but  that  we,  like  brethren  of  the 
same  family,  might  all  labor  together  in  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ." 

The  cause  of  many  of  the  locations  was  not  a  lack  of 
zeal  or  love  for  the  work,  but  necessity  forced  it  upon 
them.  There  never  was  a  more  consecrated  set  of  men 
than  these  early  itinerants.  They  went  forward  with  an 
ambition  only  to  build  up  the  Church  and  glorify  God. 
And  many  of  those  who  located  taught  school  for  a  year 
or  two  to  replenish  their  purses  a  little,  and  then  returned 
to  the  work  that  they  loved  above  everything  else. 

The  allowance  was  not  only  small,  but  often  it  was  not 
paid  in  full.  Rev.  James  Patterson,  who  served  as  an  itin- 
erant in  the  period  of  which  we  write,  said  in  the  North 
Carolina  Christian  Advocate,  October,  1857:  "At  a  Con- 
ference in  Virginia,  in  the  year  1799,  I  saw  two  preachers 
who  had  worked  out  their  year  and  had  only  received 
thirty  dollars  each,  and  one  of  them  had  lost  his  horse; 
and  means  to  supply  deficiencies  were  so  scant  that  they 
got  very  little  aid;  however,  they  did  not  flinch,  but 
braved  the  storm  and  went  on  to  their  work."  At  that 
same  Conference  the  Rev.  Enoch  George  was  reported  to 


Development  in  the  East.  161 

be  in  great  destitution,  and  was  helped  by  every  member 
of  the  Conference. 

These  were  days  of  sacrifices  and  devotion.  The 
preachers  were  doing  all  they  could  to  live  on  the  small 
amount  allowed,  and  eternity  alone  will  reveal  what  the 
holy  women  of  early  Methodism  did  in  helping  these  men 
of  God  to  bridge  over  many  financial  embarrassments. 
Clothing  was  high,  and  these  good  women  made  many 
articles  of  clothing  with  their  own  hands  to  supply  the 
needs  of  this  persecuted  and  poorly  paid  set  of  men.  If  it 
had  not  been  for  such  timely  aid,  many  others  would  have 
been  forced  to  give  up  their  work.  In  addition  to  this 
material  help,  they  gave  inspiration  to  many  a  tired  and 
worn  itinerant  by  their  sympathy  and  prayers.  When  the 
final  account  is  summed  up,  it  will  be  found  that  these 
heroines  of  early  Methodism  in  North  Carolina  will  share 
largely  in  the  results  that  have  been  accomplished  through 
the  decades  of  the  past,  as  they  will  in  the  final  results  on 
the  last  day. 
ii 


CHAPTER  X. 

DEVELOPMENT  IN  EASTERN  NORTH  CAROLINA  CONTINUED, 
1792  TO  l800. 

North  Carolina  Furnished  Much  for  Other  States.  Stephen  Brooks. 
Edenton — Dr.  Coke's  Description.  Bishop  Asbury  at  Elizabeth 
City  and  Camden — Difficulty  of  Establishing  Methodism.  Goshen 
Circuit.  William  Ormond — Ormond's  Chapel.  Salem  in  Wayne 
County.  William  Bellamy.  Samuel  Ansley.  Jeremiah  Norman. 
Pamlico  Circuit.  William  Wilkerson.  Thomas  Easter  on  Goshen 
Circuit.  Newbern  Growing — Asbury's  Description.  Tarboro  has 
a  Neat  Chapel.  John  Sale — Triumphant  Death.  Christopher  S. 
Mooring.    Death  of  William  Easley.    A  Summary. 

In  studying  the  history  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina, 
one  is  often  impressed  with  the  fact  that  the  state  has 
furnished  so  many  valuable  preachers  for  other  sections. 
The  great  majority  of  the  heroic  men  who  laid  the  foun- 
dations of  Methodism  in  the  great  West  were  from  North 
Carolina  and  Virginia.  Any  one  who  has  not  observed 
this  would  be  surprised  if  he  were  to  see  a  list  of  those 
who  went  west  in  the  last  decade  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury and  the  first  of  the  nineteenth. 

Among  this  number  we  find  the  name  of  Rev.  Stephen 
Brooks,  who  was  born  on  Cape  Hatteras,  February  18, 
1764,  but  was  reared  in  Hyde  county  near  Mattamuskeet 
Lake.  He  was  brought  up  a  High-churchman,  was  edu- 
cated for  a  seafaring  life,  spent  some  time  at  sea,  and  ob- 
tained a  captain's  commission.  While  in  his  youth,  he 
became  convicted  of  sin  through  the  efforts  of  a  young 
(162) 


Development  in  the  East.  163 

Methodist  minister.  His  son,  Rev.  Jacob  F.  Brooks, 
thought  that  the  Methodist  preacher  referred  to  was  prob- 
ably Israel  Watson.  At  any  rate  the  arrow  had  pierced 
his  heart,  and  one  night  while  alone  in  his  father's  corn- 
field he  obtained  the  pardon  of  his  .sins,  but  did  not  let  it 
be  known  at  the  time.  One  night  soon  after,  there  was 
a  prayer  meeting  at  his  father's  house,  a  custom  of  early 
Methodism,  and  during  its  progress  he  was  observed  to  be 
under  religious  excitement ;  he  was  called  on  to  pray,  and 
during  that  prayer  his  father,  mother,  brothers,  and  sis- 
ters were  awakened,  obtained  religion,  and  afterwards 
joined  the  Methodist  Church.  He  soon  obtained  license 
to  preach  and  entered  the  work  of  the  ministry.  In  1789 
he  was  admitted  into  the  Conference,  and  immediately  set 
out  in  company  with  Bishop  Asbury  for  Kentucky.  He 
labored  in  East  Tennessee  until  his  health  failed,  but  hved 
a  long  and  consecrated  life,  during  which  time  he  led 
many  souls  to  Christ  and  was  a  blessing  to  thousands. 
He  died  in  1855. 

Edenton  is  one  of  the  oldest  tov/ns  in  the  state,  but  as 
late  as  1785  it  had  not  been  taken  into  the  circuit.  Dr. 
Coke,  on  March  23,  1785,  visited  the  place,  and  has  this 
to  say  of  the  town  and  its  people :  "I  went  to  Edenton,  a 
most  wicked  place.  Here  Mr.  Pettigrew  preaches.  The 
people  in  general  seemed  to  prefer  the  courthouse,  which 
is  an  elegant  place,  so  I  went  there  accordingly,  and 
preached  to  a  large  congregation.  The  preachers  ought 
really  to  take  this  place  into  their  plan,  and  there  is  a  per- 
son who  will  receive  them.  There  seemed  nothing  but 
dissipation  and  wickedness  in  the  tavern  at  which  I  put 


164  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

up,  and  yet  the  landlord  would  take  nothing  for  my  din- 
ner. In  the  afternoon  I  rode  with  brother  Dameron,  one 
of  our  preachers  who  came  to  meet  me,  to  Mrs.  Boyd's,  a 
widow  lady  who  came  to  Edenton  to  hear  me.  She  lives 
about  seven  miles  off  on  my  way,  and  has  good  desires.  I 
suppose  Mr.  Pettigrew  does  as  much  good  in  Edenton  as 
a  little  chicken."1 

Soon  after  this,  Edenton  was  embraced  in  the  Camden 
Circuit.  But  Methodism  for  many  years  made  but  little 
headway  in  Edenton.  Dr.  Coke's  supposition  that  Mr. 
Pettigrew  did  about  as  much  good  there  "as  a  little 
chicken"  was  no  great  exaggeration;  for  we  learn  from 
a  manuscript  history  of  Methodism  in  Edenton,  by  Rev. 
Overton  Bernard,  that  in  1808  "the  old  Episcopal  church 
had  long  been  in  a  ruinous  condition,  its  walls  well-nigh 
tumbling  to  the  ground,  the  floors  torn  up,  and  the  sacred 
stand  not  having  been  occupied  by  a  minister  of  the  gospel 
for  years."  At  this  time  there  was  no  church  building  in 
town.  The  people  were  respectful  to  religion,  but  did  not 
seem  to  care  for  things  pertaining  to  their  spiritual  wel- 
fare. 

Bishop  Asbury  was  at  Elizabeth  City  and  Camden  in 
1804,  and  makes  the  following  statement,  after  preaching 
at  the  courthouse :  "Many  heard,  but  few  felt.  I  dined 
with  Mr.  Mitchell,  a  lone  Methodist  from  Cornwall,  Great 
Britain ;  Lot  in  Sodom.  The  site  of  this  place  is  beautiful 
for  its  land  and  water  prospects ;  and  the  situation  is  good 
for  trade.    We  rode  on  to  Camden,  and  had  to  beg  a  lodg- 

1Arminian  Magazine,  1789,  page  341. 


Development  in  the  East.  165 

ing  of  Mr.  Joseph  Sandlin,  who  belongs  to  the  Baptists ; 
these  people  carry  the  day  here  in  respectability  and  num- 
bers." Thus  it  will  be  seen  how  difficult  it  was  for  Meth- 
odism to  plant  itself  in  this  section  that  had  been  occupied 
for  so  many  years  by  others;  for  it  will  be  remembered 
that  the  Quakers  began  to  preach  here  a  hundred  years 
before  the  Methodist  preacher  entered  the  state. 

In  1792  Goshen  Circuit  appears  on  the  minutes,  with 
Wiley  and  William  Beaufort  as  its  preachers.  It  em- 
braced Beaufort  on  the  east,  and  extended  as  far  west  as 
Sampson.1  New  River  Circuit  was  formed  in  1785,  em- 
bracing Onslow,  Jones,  Carteret,  Craven,  and  at  least 
parts  of  Lenoir  and  Duplin.  In  1792  it  was  divided, 
forming  Goshen  and  Trent.  New  River  Circuit  took  its 
name  from  a  stream  in  Onslow  county.  It  was  called 
East  New  River  after  1789,  to  distinguish  it  from  New 
River  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  The  principal  part  of 
Trent  Circuit  was  in  Jones  and  Lenoir  counties. 

William  Ormond,  who  served  on  the  Goshen  Circuit  in 
1792,  was  no  ordinary  man.  During  the  twelve  years 
spent  in  the  itinerant  service,  he  made  an  impression  upon 
the  Church  that  time  will  not  efface.  He  was  born  De- 
cember 22,  1769,  near  Kinston,  North  Carolina.  He  was 
converted  when  he  was  eighteen  years  old,  admitted  into 
the  Conference  in  1791,  and  appointed  to  the  Tar  River 
Circuit.  In  1792  he  served  Goshen;  1793,  Pamlico;  1794, 
New  Hope;  1795,  Sussex;  1796,  Trent;  1797,  Roanoke; 
1798,   Portsmouth;   1799,  Washington,   Georgia;   1800, 

\A.sbury's  Journal,  Vol.  II.,  page  284. 


166  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Tar  River;  1801,  Brunswick;  1802,  Salisbury;  1803,  Nor- 
folk and  Portsmouth.  During  his  stay  here,  the  yellow 
fever  began  its  deadly  work.  While  its  victims  were  fall- 
ing on  every  hand,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  a  friend :  "I  ex- 
pect to  continue  upon  my  station,  for  it  appears  I  cannot 
well  leave  at  this  time.  I  might  as  well  die  of  the  fever 
as  of  any  other  affliction,  and  there  is  as  direct  a  passage 
from  Norfolk  to  heaven  as  from  any  other  part  of  the 
globe.  I  have  no  widow  to  weep  over  my  lifeless  body, 
no  babes  to  mourn  for  a  father,  and  I  find  this  world  a 
dangerous  and  troublesome  place."  He  died  with  the 
shout  of  victory  upon  his  lips  on  October  30th,  1803. 

He  was  a  man  who  had  great  power  in  the  pulpit. 
While  on  the  Salisbury  Circuit  in  1802,  he  was  assisting 
Daniel  Asbury  in  a  revival  on  the  Yadkin  Circuit,  of 
which  Daniel  Asbury  wrote :  "After  brother  Ormond's 
sermon,  Under  prayer,  the  Lord  displayed  his  power  in  an 
increasing  manner."  The  minutes  tell  us  that  "he  left  a 
legacy  to  the  Conference,  another  to  build  a  house  for 
God,  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  nativity."  The  church 
was  built,  and  "Ormond's  Chapel"  will  forever  perpetuate 
the  memory  of  the  heroic  and  sainted  William  Ormond. 
This  chapel  is  located  between  Kinston  and  Snow  Hill. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  origin  and  growth  of  some 
of  these  early  Methodist  churches.  Salem,  in  what  now 
is  Wayne  county,  has  an  interesting  history.  Daniel  Dean 
removed  from  Virginia  and  settled  in  Wayne  county  on 
Stony  Creek.  In  1786  he  became  very  much  concerned 
about  religion,  and  remembering  the  Methodist  meetings 
he  had  attended  in  Virginia,  when  he  was  less  interested 


Development  in  the  East.  167 

than  now,  decided  to  make  a  visit  to  Virginia  in  order  to 
again  have  the  way  of  life  pointed  out  to  him  by  these 
earnest  preachers  of  the  gospel.  He  did  so,  heard  the 
preaching  and  experienced  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  When 
he  returned  home,  he  was  shouting  the  praise  of  his  new- 
found Saviour.  Soon  a  small  log  meetinghouse  was  built 
on  the  west  side  of  Stony  Creek,  and  called  "Dean's 
meetinghouse."  "This  house  was  very  rudely  con- 
structed of  logs  with  the  bark  on ;  a  hole  was  cut  near  the 
stand  for  a  window,  and  another  for  a  door,  but  no  door 
or  window  was  ever  put  in."1  "Some  years  after,  the  lit- 
tle class  which  had  been  formed  at  Dean's  was  removed 
to  Sarah  Howell's,  about  two  miles  west,  and  near  where 
the  present  Salem  Church  stands."  Here  they  had  almost 
a  constant  revival.  It  was  a  shouting  band  of  Christians. 
William  Bellamy  often  officiated  here.  A  new  building 
was  erected  in  18 10,  and  was  called  Salem. 

We  find  (^Villiam  Bellamy)  on  the  Contentney  Circuit 
in  1793,  a  rising  young  man  of  more  than  ordinary  abil- 
ity. He  was  admitted  into  the  Conference  in  1791  and 
appointed  to  Bladen;  1792,  Guilford;  1793,  Contentney; 
1794,  Bladen;  1796,  located.  He  soon  returned  to  the 
itinerancy  and  served  for  a  few  years.  In  1821  we  find 
him  a  leader  among  the  local  preachers  in  the  Roanoke 
District,  and  was  acting  as  president  of  the  District  Con- 
ference of  local  preachers  when  an  address  was  .sent  to  the 
Virginia  Conference  opposing  the  grounds  taken  by  the 
General  Conference  "to  enact  special  rules  for  their  gov- 

'Colonel  W.  S.  G.  Andrews,  in  the  North  Carolina  Chistian  Ad- 
vocate, February  29,  1855. 


1 68  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

eminent  without  their  consent."  So  when  the  Methodist 
Protestant  Church  was  organized,  he  went  with  it,  and 
was  one  of  its  strongest  men.  He  lived  to  a  ripe  old 
age,  and  died  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him. 

William  Bellamy  collected  material  to  write  a  history 
of  reform  in  the  "Old  Roanoke  District,"  but  died  before 
the  work  had  been  completed.  It  was  suggested  that  Rev. 
John  Paris  write  the  contemplated  history,  which -he  did, 
and  published  it  in  1849,  as  the  "History  of  the  Methodist 
Protestant  Church." 

Samuel  Ansley  served  Contentney  in  1794.  Of  him  we 
know  nothing  more  than  the  list  of  appointments  showing 
where  he  served.  He  was  admitted  in  1791,  and  serving 
the  Tar  River  Circuit  in  1795,  his  name  disappeared  from 
the  minutes. 

In  1794  Jeremiah  Norman  was  appointed  to  Pamlico 
Circuit.  This  was  a  large  circuit.  It  extended  from  Wil- 
liamston  through  a  part  of  Martin,  Washington,  and  Tyr- 
rell to  Alligator  River.  Jeremiah  Norman  was  admitted 
into  the  Conference  in  1792  and  sent  beyond  the  Blue 
Ridge,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  then  returns  to 
the  Pamlico  Circuit.  Within  the  bounds  of  this  circuit 
he  was  reared,  and  now  had  several  brothers  and  sisters 
living  here.  He  took  no  regular  work  for  the  next  three 
years,  but  spent  the  time  in  this  section  of  the  state  giving 
singing  lessons.'"1  He  reentered  the  itinerancy,  and  spent 
four  years  in  the  South  Carolina  Conference. 


'Mr.  Norman  kept  a  diary  extending  through  1793-1801.  The 
author  consulted  this  old  manuscript,  which  was  in  the  possession 
of  Dr.  S.  B.  Weeks. 


Development  in  the  East.  169 

During  this  year  (1794)  William  Wilkerson  was  on 
the  Camden  Circuit.  It  was  his  second  year  in  the  itin- 
erancy, having  served  the  previous  year  on  Orange.  In 
1795  he  was  on  the  Guilford,  1796  the  Swannanoa,  1797 
the  Caswell,  and  1798  the  Gloucester  circuits.  In  the 
midst  of  his  labors  on  the  Gloucester  Circuit  he  died  in 
1799.  He  appeared  to  live  daily  in  communion  with 
Christ.  "His  preaching  was  greatly  blessed  in  the  con- 
version of  souls,  and  in  the  building  up  of  the  Church. 
He  was  seized  with  a  bilious  fever,  which  proved  fatal  in 
a  few  days.  His  death  was  as  triumphant  as  his  life  had 
been  holy.  His  last  hours  were  spent  in  reciting  his  ex- 
perience and  labors  as  a  Christian  minister/'  He  had  no 
fear  of  death,  but  "joyfully  welcomed  the  moment  of  re- 
lease from  the  sorrows  of  earth." 

Thomas  Easter  was  on  the  Goshen  Circuit  in  1795.  He 
was  a  native  of  Virginia.  His  parents  were  among  the 
first  fruits  of  Methodism  on  Brunswick  Circuit,  and  aft- 
er them  one  of  the  oldest  churches  in  that  section,  Eas- 
ter's meetinghouse,  was  named.  He  had  a  brother,  John 
Easter,  who  was  one  of  the  most  eloquent  preachers  of 
early  Methodism.  Thomas  was  not  so  well  known,  but  he 
was  a  man  of  earnestness,  and  wielded  an  influence  for 
good  wherever  he  went.    He  located  in  1796. 

At  this  time  Newbern  was  growing  rapidly  into  a 
prominent  appointment.  Bishop  Asbury  visited  the  place 
in  December,  1796,  and  makes  the  following  note  in  his 
Journal :  "This  is  a  growing  place.  Our  society  here,  of 
white  and  colored  members,  consists  of  one  hundred. 
.     .     .     Should  piety,  health,  and  trade  attend  this  New- 


170  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

bern,  it  will  be  a  very  capital  place  in  half  a  century  from 
this." 

In  1802  the  bishop  makes  another  mention  of  Newbern, 
which  shows  its  material  and  spiritual  development.  He 
conducted  services  for  several  nights,  of  which  he  says : 
"I  concluded  each  meeting  with  prayer.  We  were 
crowded  every  night.  I  judged  it  needful  to  make  some 
temporal  and  spiritual  arrangements  for  the  society  in 
Newbern, — that  a  traveling  preacher  shall  attend  every 
Sabbath,  is  one.  Newbern  is  a  trading  and  growing 
town;  there  are  seven  hundred  or  a  thousand  houses 
already  built,  and  the  number  is  yearly  increased  by  less 
or  greater  additions,  among  which  are  some  respectable 
brick  edifices ;  the  new  courthouse,  truly  so ;  neat  and  ele- 
gant ;  another  famous  house,  said  to  be  designed  for  the 
Masonic  or  theatrical  gentlemen;  it  might  make  a  most 
excellent  church.  The  population  of  the  town,  citizens 
and  transient  persons,  may  amount  to  three  thousand  five 
hundred  or  four  thousand  souls." 

On  Sunday,  he  says,  they  took  a  public  collection  which 
amounted  to  sixty  dollars,"and  parted  from  our  brethren, 
whom  we  left  full  of  good  resolutions  to  finish  the  house 
of  God;  the  African  Methodists  also  were  about  to  build 
a  place  of  worship.  Truly  we  are  encouraged ;  our  own 
people  are  stirred  up,  and  judges,  counselors,  doctors,  and 
ministers  attended  our  preaching,  and  appeared  to  be 
pleased ;  may  they  be  profited  and  finally  saved." 

The  bishop  thought  it  worthy  of  remark  that  the  law- 
yers and  doctors  attended.  And  when  we  consider  that 
the  Methodists  had  at  first  been  as  a  despised  and  perse- 


Development  in  the  East.  171 

cuted  sect,  there  is  nothing  that  shows  the  development 
of  Methodism  more  than  this  change  in  public  sentiment. 
Bishop  Asbury  did  not  often  go  away  from  a  place  with 
such  encouragement  as  he  had  received  from  his  visit  to 
Newbern.  He  now  proposed  to  make  Newbern  a  station. 
And  it  will  be  seen  that  he  thought  the  same  about  Wash- 
ington ;  that  it  ought  to  have  preaching  every  week. 

AtCTarbofdhe  found  that  "a  neat  new  chapel"  had  been 
built,  in  which  he  preached  from  the  text,  "My  house 
shall  be  called  a  house  of  prayer  for  all  people."  He  ex- 
presses hope  that  tlXarboroLand^  JTaJrfa^)  will  yet  hear  and 
receive  the  gospel."  This  was  in  1802.  When  the  bishop 
visited  Tarboro  in  1796  they  had  no  house  of  worship, 
though  he  says  there  were  two  houses  in  town  open  to 
him.  It  was  on  this  trip  that  he  went  to  the  courthouse 
and  found  a  fire  in  one  of  the  apartments,  and  thought  it 
had  been  prepared  for  preaching ;  but  when  he  saw  a  violin 
on  the  table,  he  learned  that  it  had  been  heated  up  for  a 
dance.  However,  they  were  kind  enough  to  give  way  to 
the  bishop,  where  he  says  "we  had  a  serious  congregation 
to  hear." 

In  1797  John  Sale  is  preacher  in  charge  of  the  Bertie 
Circuit.  His  parents  were  members  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  in  Virginia.  When  he  was  about 
twenty-one  years  old  he  was  convicted  of  sin,  and  ex- 
perienced religion.  Soon  he  began  to  call  sinners  to  re- 
pentance, and  was  received  on  trial  as  a  traveling  preacher 
in  1796,  and  sent  to  the  Swannanoa  Circuit.  The  next 
year  he  served  the  Bertie  Circuit,  and  in  1798  Mattamus- 
keet.     After  this   he   went  west,   where  he   served  the 


i72  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Church  until  1826  as  circuit  preacher,  presiding  elder,  and 
in  the  superannuate  relation.  In  all  of  these  relations  he 
was  faithful. 

These  old  pioneers  died  well.  We  find  this  account  of 
Sale's  last  illness  in  the  Methodist  Magazine  of  1828: 
"During  his  illness  there  was  not  an  intervening  cloud  to 
darken  his  prospect  of  a  better  world ;  he  observed  to  his 
colleague,  'If  you  think  it  worth  while,  tell  my  brethren 
that  the  religion  I  have  recommended  and  preached  to 
others  now  affords  me  consolation  and  support,  in  the 
view  of  death  and  eternity.  Tell  them  my  faith  is  un- 
shaken in  the  doctrines  of  our  Church.'  He  then  clapped 
his  hands  and  .shouted  triumphantly,  in  the  prospect  of  a 
glorious  immortality." 

Christopher  S.  Mooring  followed  him  on  the  Bertie 
Circuit  in  1798.  Dr.  Bennett  in  his  "Memorials  of  Meth- 
odism in  Virginia"  says,  in  speaking  of  Mr.  Mooring, 
"Few  have  been  more  useful  to  the  Church  and  more  suc- 
cessful in  all  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry."  He 
was  born  in  Surry  county,  Virginia,  in  1767;  was  ad- 
mitted into  the  traveling  ministry  in  1789.  He  gave 
thirty-six  years  of  service  to  the  Church,  and  the  minutes 
say,  "He  was  made  an  instrument  of  great  good  to  the 
souls  of  men."  His  last  sickness  was  an  exhibition  of 
much  patience  and  submission  to  the  will  of  God. 
Through  his  useful  life  he  was  distinguished  for  his  meek- 
ness and  quietness  of  spirit.  Many,  led  to  Christ  through 
his  efforts,  will  go  to  make  up  his  crown  of  rejoicing  in 
the  final  day. 

In  1779  Methodism  suffered  the  loss  of  its  leader  in 


CHRISTOPHER    S.    MOORING. 


Development  in  the  East.  173 

Newbern.  William  Early,  a  most  valuable  man,  died 
after  a  few  days  of  illness  with  yellow  fever.  He  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  and  after  laboring  zealously  as  a  local 
preacher  for  several  years,  he  was  admitted  into  the  itin- 
erancy in  1 79 1.  He  traveled  the  Haw  River  Circuit  one 
year.  He  was  earnestly  pushing  forward  his  work  at 
Newbern  in  1 799  when  smitten  by  the  terrible  malady  that 
ended  his  days  on  earth.  Dr.  Bennett,  in  speaking  of  him, 
says :  "He  was  full  of  zeal,  a  powerful,  earnest,  and  suc- 
cessful preacher.  He  was  the  honored  instrument  in  the 
salvation  of  many  souls."  When  he  was  seized  with  yel- 
low fever  he  refused  to  take  his  bed,  and  mounting  his 
horse,  rode  off  to  an  appointment.  He  had  gone  but  a 
few  miles  when,  overcome  by  the  fatal  disease,  he  dis- 
mounted and  threw  himself  under  the  shade  of  a  tree  by 
the  roadside.  Here  he  was  found  by  a  gentleman,  who 
kindly  conveyed  him  to  his  house.  He  lingered  a  few 
days  in  great  pain,  and  ascended  to  the  rest  of  the  saints. 
In  his  last  hours  he  had  victory. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  take  a  little  retrospect  of 
conditions  in  this  section  of  the  state  at  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  In  1780  the  Roanoke  Circuit  was  the 
only  charge  in  all  this  territory.  That  year  it  had  a  mem- 
bership of  four  hundred  and  eighty.  In  1790  this  terri- 
tory had  four  circuits — Camden,  Bertie,  Roanoke,  and 
New  River — with  a  membership  of  three  thousand  and 
seventy-two  whites  and  one  thousand  two  hundred  and 
twenty  colored.  During  this  decade  we  see  a  most  won- 
derful growth. 

During  the  next  ten  years,  from  1790  to  1800,  the  cir- 


174  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

cuits  were  so  divided  that  the  number  was  doubled,  giving 
the  following  circuits  in  1800:  Roanoke,  Pamlico,  New- 
bern,  Goshen,  Contentney,  Camden,  Bertie,  and  Banks 
and  Mattamuskeet.  But  while  the  number  of  circuits  had 
increased  and  the  people  were  better  served,  yet  from 
some  cause  the  membership  dropped  from  three  thousand 
and  seventy-two  whites  in  1790  to  two  thousand  and 
seventy-three  in  1800. 

Of  course  some  of  this  decrease  was  due  to  the  seces- 
sion of  O' Kelly,  as  this  section  was  affected  more  than 
any  other  part  of  the  connection,  except  the  southern  part 
of  Virginia,  for  Mr.  O'Kelly  was  more  popular  in  Vir- 
ginia and  eastern  North  Carolina  than  anywhere  else. 
But  the  decrease  was  not  all  due  to  the  O'Kellyan  schism. 
There  was  much  opposition  to  Methodism.  The  ground 
was  contested  at  every  point.  The  Methodist  preacher 
found  nothing  but  a  cold,  dead  formalism  in  the  Church, 
while  sin  and  wickedness  of  every  kind  abounded  on  the 
outside.  Many  of  those  in  the  Church  fought  Armin- 
ianism,  as  taught  by  the  Methodists,  as  they  did  a  deadly 
foe.  The  Methodists  were  looked  upon  as  a  despised 
and  persecuted  sect.  They  had  no  church  houses,  no  pres- 
tige, no  history,  nothing  but  that  which  was  opposed  to 
formalism  and  sin;  and  this  was  not  popular.  But  these 
itinerants  went  forth  amidst  extreme  hardships,  priva- 
tions, and  sufferings,  and  planted  Methodism  in  every 
nook  and  corner  of  eastern  North  Carolina  before  the 
year  1800;  and  we  of  to-day  are  still  reaping  the  fruits  of 
their  labor. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  FIRST  SCHISM  IN   METHODISM. 

James  O'Kelly.  Tar  River  Circuit.  People  Worldly-minded  and 
Hard-hearted.  O'Kelly's  Fields  of  Labor — His  Great  Influence. 
The  Council  Established — First  Council  at  Cokesbury.  Bishop 
Paine's  Comment  on  O'Kelly's  Action.  McKendree  on  Ports- 
mouth Circuit— His  Diary.  General  Conference  Met  in  Balti- 
more— Attendance  Large — O'Kelly's  Resolution — Great  Debate 
Followed— John  Dickins  Offers  Amendment — O'Kelly  with  a 
Few  Others  Left  Their  Seats,  and  Retired — Visited  by  Commit- 
tee— Dr.  Coke  Interviews  O'Kelly — Thomas  Ware's  Account — 
O'Kelly  Unfolds  His  Plan  to  McKendree.  Rumors  of  a  New 
Church — Letter  of  Richard  L.  Green.  McKendree  in  Norfolk.  In 
T793  O'Kelly  was  Entered  as  Formally  Withdrawn.  New  Church 
Organized — The  Republican  Methodists — Controversy  Followed — 
Bitter  Feelings  Engendered — Estimated  Loss.  Principles  of  the 
Christian  Church  Stated — O'Kelly's  Letter  to  Edward  Cannon — 
Bishop  Asbury  Visits  Him.  The  Hammett  Schism.  Great  Re- 
vival Followed. 

James  O'Kelly  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Methodism  in 
North  Carolina;  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  he  should 
require  special  notice  under  the  head,  'The  First  Schism 
in  Methodism."  He  entered  the  itinerant  ranks  in  1777, 
and  for  fifteen  years  he  rendered  most  efficient  service  in 
the  Methodist  connection.  He  laid  the  foundation  of 
New  Hope  Circuit,  and  while  on  this  circuit  he  had  for 
his  assistant  Beverly  Allen.  They  had  a  year  of  great 
success.  Mr.  Allen  says,  "Numbers  joined  our  societies, 
and  many  professed  faith  in  the  Redeemer."  In  1779, 
while  O'Kelly  was  on  this  work,  he  extended  his  labors 

(175) 


ij6  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

down  the  Cape  Fear  section  which  was  afterwards  taken 
into  the  Bladen  Circuit. 

In  1780  he  was  on  the  Tar  River  Circuit.  We  gather 
from  Asbury's  Journal  that  the  people  werejiard  to  move 
in  a  religious  direction ;  that  they  were  worldly-minded, 
and  very  indifferent  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  As- 
bury  says,  in  speaking  of  O'Kelly:  "This  dear  man  rose 
at  midnight  and  prayed  very  devoutly  for  me  and  himself. 
He  cries,  'Give  me  children,  or  I  die !'  but  I  believe  no 
preaching  or  preacher  will  do  much  good  at  present." 

O'Kelly  traveled  Mecklenburg,  Brunswick,  and  Sus- 
sex circuits.  He  was  ordained  an  elder  at  the  Christ- 
mas Conference  in  1784.  In  order  to  see  where  he  would 
exert  his  strongest  influence,  we  will  follow  him  for  the 
next  few  years  on  his  various  fields  of  labor.  The  first 
district  to  which  he  was  appointed  embraced  Amelia,  Bed- 
ford, and  Orange  circuits.  The  next  year,  1786,  he  trav- 
eled over  Guilford,  Halifax,  and  Mecklenburg  circuits. 
In  1787  his  district  was  much  larger,  embracing  Bladen, 
Xew  River,  Tar  River,  Roanoke,  Mecklenburg,  Bruns- 
wick, Sussex,  and  Amelia;  in  1788,  Anson,  Bertie,  Cam- 
den, Portsmouth,  Brunswick,  Amelia,  Mecklenburg, 
Buckingham,  Bedford,  Amherst,  Organe,  Hanover,  Wil- 
liamsburg. For  the  next  four  years  he  traveled  prac- 
tically this  same  district.  Rev.  M.  H.  Moore,  in  his 
"Pioneers  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina  and  Vir- 
ginia," says:  "Throughout  this  territory  O'Kelly  was 
highly  esteemed  and  beloved.  His  labors  were  great- 
ly blessed  in  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  sinners, 
and  the  hearts  of  the  preachers  and  people  were  greatly 


The  First  Schism  in  Methodism.  177 

drawn  to  him.  No  other  man  wielded  so  powerful  an 
influence  over  the  people  of  this  section;  no  man  en- 
joyed more  entirely  the  public  confidence.  Not  a  breath 
of  suspicion  had  fallen  upon  his  religious  character  in 
all  his  goings  in  and  out  before  the  people.  He  had 
conducted  himself  as  a  man  of  God  and  a  Methodist 
preacher." 

In  1789  a  new  ecclesiastical  body  was  established, 
styled  "The  Council."  Necessity  was  the  mother  of  this 
singular  body.  The  Church  was  rapidly  spreading  over 
a  large  territory,  and  the  bishops  saw  the  great  incon- 
venience of  summoning  the  preachers  from  all  parts  of 
the  work  to  meet  annually  in  one  Conference.  Hence 
they  held  small  separate  Conferences  at  different  times 
and  places;  but  this  was  not  satisfactory,  as  it  was  im- 
possible to  pass  any  measure  establishing  a  new  enterprise 
until  it  had  been  agreed  to,  and  adopted,  by  each  Annual 
Conference.  This  arrangement  required  great  unanim- 
ity to  transact  business,  and  for  all  the  preachers  to  meet 
in  one  body  would  be  very  inconvenient. 

It  was  to  avoid  these  inconveniences  and  to  promote 
unity  that  they  now  decided  to  have  a  Council  consisting 
of  not  less  than  nine  persons,  of  which  the  bishops  and 
the  presiding  elders  throughout  the  connection  should  be 
members.  The  Council  was  to  represent  the  whole  work, 
and  it  was  to  be  invested  with  "authority  to  mature 
everything  they  shall  judge  expedient.  First,  to  pre- 
serve the  general  union.  Second,  to  render  and  preserve 
the  external  form  of  worship  similar  throughout  the  con- 
nection.    Third,  to  preserve  the  essentials  of  Methodist 


178  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

doctrines  and  discipline  pure  and  uncorrupted.  Fourth, 
to  correct  all  abuses  and  disorders.  And,  lastly,  to  mature 
everything  they  may  see  necessary  for  the  good  of  the 
Church,  and  for  promoting  and  improving  our  colleges 
and  plan  of  education." 

In  the  absence  of  a  General  Conference,  which  per- 
haps had  not  been  thought  of  at  that  time,  this  looks  like 
a  great  improvement  over  the  old  method  of  procedure. 
But  unfortunately  some  provisions  were  incorporated 
which  killed  it.  Not  only  was  unanimity  required  in  the 
Council,  but  it  was  declared  that  "nothing  so  assented  to 
by  the  Council  shall  be  binding  in  any  district  until  it  has 
been  agreed  upon  by  a  majority  of  the  Conference  held 
for  that  district."  The  utility  of  the  whole  arrangement 
seems  to  have  been  destroyed  by  these  provisions.  For 
if  the  District  Conferences  were  to  pass  on  every  act, 
nothing  was  saved  in  time  over  the  old  system.  Such 
unanimity  could  scarcely  be  expected  among  so  large  a 
number  of  independent  bodies.  The  object  was  to  main- 
tain Conference  rights,  but  at  the  expense  of  union  and 
energy.  After  two  years'  trial  it  was  abandoned  by  mu- 
tual consent. 

The  first  session  of  the  Council  was  held  at  Cokesbury 
on  December  1st,  1789,  consisting  of  Richard  Ivey,  R. 
Ellis,  E.  Morris,  Philip  Bruce,  James  O'Kelly,  L.  Green, 
Nelson  Reid,  J.  Everitt,  John  Dickins,  J.  O.  Cromwell, 
and  Freeborn  Garrettson.  Bishop  Asbury  says,  "All  our 
business  was  done  in  harmony  and  love."  The  subjects 
of    education,    publishing,    and    relief    of    the    suffering 


The  First  Schism  in  Methodism.  179 

preachers  of  the  western   frontiers  were  discussed  and 
acted  on  at  this  meeting. 

Bishop  Robert  Paine,  in  his  "Life  and  Times  of  Bishop 
McKendree,"  makes  this  comment  on  James  O'Kelly  and 
his  connection  with  the  Council:  "We  have  already  seen 
that  Mr.  James  O'Kelly  was  a  member  of  this  Council, 
was  present  at  its  session,  and  sanctioned  its  suggestions. 
But,  unfortunately  for  his  reputation,  as  well  as  for  the 
peace  of  the  Church,  he  had  scarcely  returned  to  his  dis- 
trict before  he  changed  his  mind  and  began  a  course  of 
systematic  opposition.  Whether  this  desertion  of  his  col- 
leagues, and,  at  first,  covert  war  against  the  very  meas- 
ures he  had  sustained  in  the  Council,  resulted  from  a  con- 
viction of  their  impropriety,  or  of  opposition  to  the  Coun- 
cil itself,  or  (which  is  more  probable  still)  from  jealousy 
of  Bishop  Asbury's  growing  influence,  coupled  with  an 
inordinate  thirst  for  popularity,  must  be  left  to  the  de- 
cision of  the  reader.  But  certainly  his  subsequent  conduct 
exhibits  him  in  a  very  questionable  light.  If  opposed  to 
the  principle  involved  in  the  organization  of  the  Council, 
he  had  time  and  opportunities  enough  to  form  and  express 
his  convictions,  without  subjecting  himself  to  the  charge 
of  gross  inconsistency.  If  his  objections  were  founded 
on  the  acts  of  the  Council,  he  should  have  opposed  them 
in  the  session  of  the  Council,  where  one  dissent  would 
have  defeated  them.  But  we  are  constrained  to  the  con- 
clusion that  other  and  less  worthy  motives  dictated  his 
factious  course.  He  may  not  have  been  fully  aware  of  the 
secret  springs  of  his  feelings  and  actions  at  the  beginning 
of  his  defection,  but  charity  itself,  although  it  can  'cover 


180  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

a  multitude  of  sins,'  can  scarcely  be  so  blind  as  not  to  per- 
ceive that  his  course  is  irreconcilable  with  candor  and 
Christian  integrity."1 

William  McKendree,  while  on  the  Portsmouth  Circuit 
in  1790,  kept  a  diary  in  which  he  makes  some  entries  that 
show  what  James  O'Kelly,  his  presiding  elder,  was  doing. 
"Monday,  September  27. — Mr.  O'Kelly,  the  presiding 
elder,  came,  and  preached  on  John  xvii.  7,  'Sanctify 
through  thy  truth;  thy  word  is  truth.'  He  opened  the 
doctrine  of  sanctification  to  my  great  satisfaction.  We 
had  a  melting  time  at  the  sacrament,  and  then  the  poor 
miserable  Council  took  up  all  our  time  until  ten  o'clock 
at  night."  Here,  as  elsewhere  on  his  district,  he  was 
prejudicing  the  young  men  against  the  very  measure  for 
which  he  had  voted.  He  was  then  preparing  the  dynamite 
with  which  he  expected  to  rend  the  Conference,  if  not  to 
bring  about  an  explosion  of  the  whole  Church.  Bishop 
Paine  says,  "Sanctification  was  his  (O'Kelly's)  theme  in 
the  pulpit,  and  detraction  of  Mr.  Asbury  his  employment 
out  of  it."  Bishop  Asbury  was  for  the  Council,  O'Kelly 
was  against  it. 

On  November  the  4th  McKendree  makes  this  en- 
try in  his  diary :  "Met  the  preachers  in  Conference  at 
brother  Young's;  twenty-two  preachers  present,  and  by 
nine  o'clock  agreed  to  send  no  member  to  Council,  but 
stand  as  zve  are  until  next  Conference;  brother  O'Kelly 
preached."  This  was  a  convention  called  by  Mr.  O'- 
Kelly, inviting  the  preachers  to  meet  in  Mecklenburg, 
the  object  being  to  forestall  the  approaching  Council. 

'"Life  of  McKendree,"  Vol.  I.,  page  80. 


The  First  Schism  in  Methodism.  181 

As  soon  as  Bishop  Asbury  entered  the  district  of  Mr. 
O'Kelly,  he  says :  "I  heard  some  painful  circumstances 
relative  to  our  disappointed  brethren.  I  leave  these  things 
to  God,"  etc.  While  the  bishop  was  in  the  bounds  of 
young  McKendree's  circuit,  the  latter  makes  this  entry  in 
his  diary :  "Bishop  Asbury,  two  other  preachers,  and  my- 
self rode  about  sixteen  miles.  The  wind  was  very  keen, 
and  the  snow  about  eight  inches  deep;  our  poor  horses 
were  much  fatigued,  and  ourselves  pierced  with  the  cold. 
We  got  to  Mr.  Blount's.  /  am  astonished  at  the  bishop's 
sweet  simplicity  and  uncommon  familiarity.  Love  ap- 
peared to  sweeten  all  our  conversation."  Why  astonished 
at  the  bishop's  sweet  simplicity,  if  not  because  his  mind 
had  been  poisoned  by  representing  the  bishop  as  a  despot  ? 

Instead  of  the  Council,  O'Kelly  favored  a  General  Con- 
ference; and  after  securing  the  assistance  of  Dr.  Coke, 
Asbury  finally  yielded  for  peace.  The  General  Confer- 
ence met  in  Baltimore  on  November  ist,  1792,  which  was 
the  first  meeting  of  the  kind  since  the  Christmas  Confer- 
ence of  1784,  at  which  the  Church  was  organized.  The 
attendance  was  large,  coming  from  all  parts  of  the  con- 
nection. They  had  met  to  review  the  condition  of  the 
Church,  revise  and  adopt  such  rules  and  measures  as 
might  be  found  proper,  and  to  settle  certain  questions 
which  threatened  the  peace,  if  not  the  very  existence,  of 
the  Church.  Dr.  Coke  and  Bishop  Asbury  "presided  con- 
jointly over  their  deliberations." 

During  the  revision  of  the  Discipline  an  amendment 
was  introduced  by  James  O'Kelly  which  aimed  at  the 
annihilation  of  the  itinerant  system,  by  the  destruction  of 


182  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

the  episcopal  power  in  making  the  appointments.  The 
amendment  is  as  follows :  "After  the  bishop  appoints  the 
preachers  at  Conference  to  their  several  circuits,  if  any 
one  thinks  himself  injured  by  the  appointment,  he  shall 
have  liberty  to  appeal  to  the  Conference  and  state  his  ob- 
jections; and  if  the  Conference  approve  his  objections,  the 
bishop  shall  appoint  him  to  another  circuit." 

This  resolution  filled  the  Conference  with  strife  and  de- 
bate. At  first  the  majority  seemed  to  approve  of  the 
measure.  The  debate  continued  for  three  days,  with  the 
strongest  minds  of  the  Conference  participating.  As 
Bishop  Asbury's  administration  was  necessarily  involved 
in  the  debate,  he  very  wisely  retired  from  the  Conference. 
He  wrote  a  short  letter  to  the  Conference,  in  which  he 
says :  "I  am  happy  in  the  consideration  that  I  never  sta- 
tioned a  preacher  through  enmity  or  as  a  punishment.  I 
have  acted  for  the  glory  of  God,  the  good  of  the  people, 
and  to  promote  the  usefulness  of  the  preachers."  With 
this  consciousness  of  doing  right,  he  retired  with  great 
calmness  while  the  storm  raged  within.  No  such  debate 
had  ever  been  witnessed  in  a  Methodist  Conference.  The 
strongest  men  in  Methodism  were  arrayed  against  each 
other.  Many  feared  that  the  time-honored  itinerant  plan 
would  be  swept  away.  But  John  Dickins,  one  of  the  ablest 
men  in  the  Conference,  proposed  a  division  of  the  subject, 
by  which  the  question  could  be  brought  to  a  direct  issue, 
thus:  i.  "Shall  the  bishop  appoint  the  preachers  to  the 
circuits?"    2.  "Shall  a  preacher  be  allowed  an  appeal?" 

The  motion  to  divide,  after  some  discussion,  was  car- 
ried.    Then  the  first  question  was  put  and  carried  unan- 


The  First  Schism  in  Methodism.  183 

imously.  In  considering  the  second  question,  this  diffi- 
culty arose,  as  to  whether  this  was  to  be  regarded  as  a  new 
rule.  If  so,  it  could  only  pass  by  a  two-thirds  vote.  They 
finally,  after  a  long  debate,  decided  that  it  was  an  amend- 
ment. This  brought  the  Conference  back  to  the  question 
as  originally  proposed.  "On  Monday,"  Jesse  Lee  says, 
"we  began  the  debate  afresh,  and  continued  it  through 
the  day ;  and  at  night  we  went  to  Mr.  Otterbein's  church, 
and  again  continued  it  till  near  bedtime,  when  the  vote 
was  taken,  and  the  motion  was  lost  by  a  large  ma- 
jority." 

The  next  morning  Mr.  O'Kelly  with  a  few  of  his  ad- 
herents sent  a  letter  to  the  Conference,  informing  them 
that,  as  their  resolution  had  been  rejected,  they  could  not 
longer  retain  their  seats  in  that  body.  A  committee  was 
appointed  to  wait  on  Mr.  O'Kelly  and  his  party,  and  if 
possible  persuade  them  to  assume  their  seats  in  the  Con- 
ference. Dr.  Coke  had  a  personal  interview  with  Mr. 
O'Kelly,  but  he  also  failed  to  bring  about  a  reconciliation. 
They  were  fixed  in  their  purpose,  which  was  more  far- 
reaching  and  comprehended  more  than  was  conceived  by 
the  Conference. 

In  a  few  days  Mr.  O'Kelly  and  his  partisans  started  on 
their  return  to  Virginia,  "taking  their  saddlebags,  great- 
coats, and  other  bundles  on  their  shoulders  or  arms,  and 
walking  on  foot  to  the  place  where  they  had  left  their 
horses,  which  was  about  twelve  miles  from  town."  Jesse 
Lee  says :  "I  stood  and  looked  after  them  as  they  went 
off,  and  observed  to  one  of  the  preachers  that  I  was  sorry 
to  see  the  old  man  go  off  in  that  way,  for  I  was  persuaded 


184  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

he  would  not  be  quiet  long ;  but  he  would  try  to  be  head  of 
some  party."1 

Thomas  Ware,  who  was  present,  gives  the  following 
account  of  his  impressions:  "Had  Mr.  O'Kelly's  proposi- 
tion been  differently  managed,  it  might  possibly  have  been 
carried.  For  myself,  at  first  I  did  not  see  anything  very 
objectionable  in  it.  But  when  it  came  to  be  debated,  I 
very  much  disliked  the  spirit  of  those  who  advocated  it, 
and  wondered  at  the  severity  in  which  the  movers  and 
others  who  spoke  in  favor  of  it  indulged  in  the  course  of 
their  remarks.  Some  of  them  said  that  it  was  a  shame 
for  a  man  to  accept  of  such  a  lordship,  much  more  to 
claim  it ;  and  that  they  who  would  submit  to  this  absolute 
dominion  must  forfeit  all  claims  to  freedom,  and  ought 
to  have  their  ears  bored  through  with  an  awl,  and  to  be 
fastened  to  their  master's  door  and  become  slaves  for 
life.  One  said  to  be  denied  such  an  appeal  was  an  insult 
to  his  understanding,  and  a  species  of  tyranny  to  which 
others  might  submit  if  they  chose,  but  for  his  part  he 
must  be  excused  for  saying  he  could  not.  The  advocates 
of  the  opposite  side  were  more  dispassionate  and  argu- 
mentative. They  urged  that  Mr.  Wesley,  the  father  of 
the  Methodist  family,  had  devised  the  plan,  and  deemed 
it  essential  for  the  preservation  of  the  itinerancy.  They 
said  that,  according  to  the  showing  of  brother  O'Kelly, 
Mr.  Wesley,  if  he  were  alive,  ought  to  blush;  for  he 
claimed  the  right  to  station  the  preachers  to  the  day  of  his 
death.     The  appeal,  it  was  argued,  was  rendered  imprac- 


'Eee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  180. 


The  First  Schism  in  Methodism.  185 

ticable  on  account  of  the  many  serious  difficulties  with 
which  it  was  encumbered.  Should  one  preacher  appeal 
and  the  Conference  say  his  appointment  should  be  altered, 
the  bishop  must  remove  some  other  one  to  make  him 
room ;  in  which  case  the  other  might  complain  and  appeal 
in  his  turn ;  and  then  again  the  first  might  appeal  from  the 
new  appointment,  or  others  whose  appointments  these 
successive  alterations  might  interrupt.  Hearing  all  that 
was  said  on  both  sides,  I  was  finally  convinced  that  the 
motion  for  such  an  appeal  ought  not  to  carry."1 

The  withdrawal  of  Mr.  O'Kelly  and  party  from  the 
Conference  was  not  considered  a  secession,  but  it  soon 
assumed  that  character.  On  their  trip  home  they  had 
many  consultations,  and  on  the  latter  part  of  the  jour- 
ney Mr.  McKendree  was  the  only  companion  of  his  old 
presiding  elder,  when  Mr.  O'Kelly  unfolded  his  plan  to 
him.  It  was  to  have  "a  republican,  no-slavery,  glorious 
Church!  Bishop  Asbury  was  pope;  the  General  Confer- 
ence was  a  revolutionizing  body :  the  bishop  and  his  crea- 
tures were  working  the  ruin  of  the  Church  to  gratify  their 
pride  and  ambition !" 

When  Bishop  Asbury  opened  the  Conference  for  the 
Virginia  District  at  Manchester,  on  November  the  26th, 
W.  McKendree  and  R.  Haggard  sent  him  "their  resigna- 
tions in  writing."  In  the  case  of  Air.  O'Kelly,  it  was 
resolved,  in  consideration  of  his  age  and  services,  to  allow 
him  his  usual  salary  as  when  he  traveled  "provided  he 
was  peaceable  and  forbore  to  excite  divisions  among  the 

'"Memoir  of  Rev.  Thomas  Ware,"  page  222. 


1 86  Method  ism  in  North  Carolina. 

brethren."    Mr.  O'Kelly  acceded  to  this  proposition,  and 
received  his  salary  for  a  part  of  the  year.1 

For  some  time  it  was  hard  for  some  of  Mr.  O'Kelly's 
friends  to  believe  that  he  meant  anything  like  a  secession, 
or  the  establishment  of  a  new  Church.  Richard  L.  Green, 
of  Norfolk,  Va.,  who  was  one  of  his  ardent  admirers. 
says :  "I  heard  it  rumored  almost  every  day  that  he  was 
paving  the  way  to  raise  a  Church  to  himself;  but  I  was  so 
wrapped  up  in  him,  I  would  not  believe  one  word  of  it;  I 
would  not  believe  he  would  be  guilty  of  such  a  crime." 
He  says  further :  "We  heard  that  he  was  to  be  in  Suffolk 
(about  twenty-six  miles  from  Norfolk)  in  a  few  days. 
I  went  there  and  met  him,  and  was  with  him  two  or  three 
days  at  his  appointments  on  his  way  to  Portsmouth,  and 
brought  him  with  me  to  Norfolk.  He  preached  in  my 
house  to  so  large  a  congregation  that  two  of  the  sleepers 
of  the  house  broke.  After  preaching  he  administered  the 
sacrament  to  the  society,  at  which  time  he  let  us  know 
how  much  he  had  clone  for  us,  how  much  he  loved  us,  and 
what  a  claim  he  had  on  us ;  but  at  the  same  time  gave  us 
to  understand  that  if  we  did  not  go  with  him,  he  never 
should  go  with  us.  From  that  moment  I  was  convinced 
of  his  wicked  intention  to  divide  the  flock  of  Christ,  and 
I  was  resolved  to  oppose  him  to  the  uttermost  of  my 
power ;  and  I  thank  God  he  was  never  able  to  make  a  di- 
vision in  Norfolk,  though  he  strove  by  all  the  means  in 
his  power  to  effect  it."2 

'Snethen's  "Reply  to  O'Kelly's  Apology,"  page  36. 
Trom  a  letter  written  by  Richard  L.  Green  and  published  in  The 
Itinerant  in  its  issue  of  August  5,   1829.     The  Itinerant  was  pub- 


The  First  Schism  in  Methodism.  187 

The  name  of  William  McKendree  appears  in  the  min- 
utes of  1793,  in  charge  of  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth.  He 
gives  this  account  of  his  year's  work :  "Though  it  was  a 
year  of  contention  and  much  confusion,  I  enjoyed  peace 
with  the  members  of  the  station."  He  was  greatly  hum- 
bled and  mortified  at  his  course  at  the  Conference  at  Man- 
chester. His  work  was  resumed  after  about  a  month  of 
mental  and  religious  struggle,  hawing  become  a  wiser 
man.  At  the  Conference  of  1793  the  following  were  en- 
tered as  formally  withdrawn  from  the  connection :  James 
O'Kelly,  Rice  Haggard,  John  Allen,  and  John  Robertson. 
O' Kelly  and  Haggard  began  at  once  to  organize  a  new 
Church,  pure  and  free  from  all  the  evils  they  fancied  were 
in  the  Methodist  Church.  They  were  assisted  by  some 
disaffected  local  preachers.  Allen  soon  settled  and  began 
the  practice  of  medicine,  giving  up  preaching  altogether. 
Robertson  continued  as  a  local  preacher  for  some  years, 
when  he  became  the  head  of  a  subordinate  schism  in  the 
O'Kellyan  ranks.1 

The  leaders  began  to  confer  and  hold  meetings,  in  order 
to  decide  upon  some  plan  of  operation.  They  decided  to 
give  the  new  Church  the  title  of  "The  Republican  Meth- 
ofji-stSj"  At  the  time  republican  principles  prevailed  in 
Virginia,  and  of  course  something  might  be  gained  by  a 
Church  bearing  this  popular  name.  They  renounced  all 
rules  of  Church  government,  and  took  the  New  Testa- 

lished  in  Baltimore  and  edited  by  Melville  B.  Cox.     It  was  a  small 
eight-page  paper,  which  appeared  twice  a  month.     The  editor  says 
in  his  prospectus  it  is  not  published  for  aggression,  but  for  defense. 
"'Memorials  of  Methodism  in  Virginia,"  page  327. 


188  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

ment  for  their  guide.  In  the  ministry  there  were  to  be  no 
grades;  all  were  to  stand  on  an  equal  footing.  Mr. 
O' Kelly  went  to  work  with  much  zeal  to  establish  his 
Church  by  personal  work  and  by  correspondence.  Much 
of  his  writings  were  in  bad  taste,  not  to  say  in  a  bad  spirit. 
The  first  of  his  writings  that  attracted  much  attention 
was  written  soon  after  his  secession,  a  pamphlet  entitled, 
"The  Author's  Apology  for  Protesting  Against  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Government/'  In  this  in  speaking  of 
Bishop  Asbury,  he  calls  him  Francis.  Mr.  Wesley  he 
designates  as  John,  etc.  To  this  a  reply  was  published  by 
Mr.  Snethen,  which  had  a  wonderful  influence  in  arrest- 
ing the  schism.1  The  spirit  of  division  prevailed  chiefly 
in  the  southern  counties  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina. 
In  this  region  the  influence  of  O' Kelly  was  greater  than 
in  any  other  part  of  the  connection. 

"And  although  his  success  in  gaining  proselytes  from 
the  ranks  of  Methodism  was  far  less  than  he  anticipated, 
yet  the  history  of  this  painful  schism  is  full  of  sad  memo- 
rials ;  families  were  rent  asunder ;  brother  was  opposed  to 
brother;  parents  and  children  were  arrayed  against  each 
other ;  warm  friends  became  open  enemies ;  the  claims  of 


1Rev.  Nicholas  Snethen,  "A  Reply  to  an  Apology,"  etc.,  which 
called  forth  "A  Vindication  of  an  Apology,"  by  James  O'Kelly,  which 
was  met  by  "An  Answer  to  James  O'Kelly's  Vindication  of  His 
Apology,"  by  Mr.  Snethen.  In  addition  to  these  Mr.  O'Kelly  wrote 
much  more:  "The  Prospect  Before  Us,"  Hillsboro,  1824;  "Letters 
from  Heaven  Consulted,"  Hillsboro,  1822;  "Divine  Oracles  Con- 
sulted," when  published  it  is  not  known.  In  one  of  the  pamphlets 
published  by  Mr.  O'Kelly,  Bishop  Asbury  is  designated  as  the  "Bal- 
timore Bull,"  and  the  picture  of  a  bull's  head  graces  the  title-page. 


The  First  Schism  in  Methodism.  189 

Christian  love  were  forgotten  in  the  hot  disputes  about 
Church  government.  The  means  of  grace  were  neg- 
lected ;  piety  declined ;  religion  was  wounded  in  the  house 
of  her  friends,  and  the  enemies  of  Christ  exulted  over 
many  who  had  fallen  away  from  the  faith."1  Jesse  Lee 
says :  "It  was  enough  to  make  the  saints  of  God  weep  be- 
tween the  porch  and  the  altar,  and  that  both  day  and 
night,  to  see  how  the  Lord's  flock  was  carried  captive  by 
that  division." 

O'Kelly  was  zealously  pushing  his  cause  and  creating 
as  much  dissatisfaction  as  possible;  and  then  the  subject 
of  religion  was  neglected  and  the  people  were  talking 
Church  government.  Spirituality  was  waning,  and  it  is 
very  difficult  to  estimate  the  evil  results  of  the  division. 
Various  estimates  have  been  made  as  to  the  number  of 
members  lost  to  the  Methodist  Church.  In  O'Kelly's  old 
district,  where  he  wielded  his  greatest  influence,  one  cir- 
cuit from  1792  to  1795,  when  the  excitement  was  at  its 
highest,  lost  two  hundred  members ;  while  there  were  two 
circuits  in  the  very  field  of  strife  that  had  a  net  gain  of 
four  hundred.  Hence  the  difficulty  in  tracing  the  loss  to 
the  schism;  for  after  all  their  efforts  up  to  1794,  the 
seceders  had  only  about  one  thousand  members.  At  any 
rate,  the  bad  effect  upon  the  Church  was  not  in  the  loss 
of  members,  but  in  the  bad  spirit  that  was  disseminated. 

We  insert  the  following  from  the  "Principles  and  Gov- 
ernment of  the  Christian  Church,"  published  at  Suffolk, 
Va.,  in  1867:  "Those  who  were  instrumental  in  its  estab- 

'"Memorials   of   Methodism  in  Virginia,"   Bennett,   page   328. 


190  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

lishment  were  Virginians  and  North  Carolinians.  The 
leading  spirit  in  the  organization  was  Rev.  James  O' Kel- 
ly, a  distinguished  minister  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  who  labored  earnestly  and  effectually  in  giving 
permanency  and  character  to  this  Society,  then  in  its  in- 
fancy in  this  country.  Mr.  O'Kelly  had  hoped  to  find 
with  the  Methodists  that  spirit  of  liberality  and  reform 
that  would  ultimately  permeate  every  Christian  com- 
munity and  open  the  door  of  universal  religious  suffrage 
and  harmonious  union.  But  the  arbitrary  measures  of  a 
few  individuals  who  at  that  time  ruled  the  whole  connec- 
tion crushed  his  hopes  in  that  direction,  and  he  deter- 
mined, though  reluctantly,  to  withdraw  and  continue  his 
work  independent  of  them,  which  he  did  in  the  year  1792, 
followed  by  about  twenty  or  thirty  other  ministers.  After 
one  or  two  preliminary  meetings,  Mr.  O'Kelly  and  his  as- 
sociates met  in  General  Conference  the  next  year  in  Surry 
county,  Va.,  and  after  mature  deliberation  adopted  sub- 
stantially the  principles  now  maintained  by  the  Christian 
Church,  only  they  called  themselves  "Republican  Meth- 
odists," which,  however,  they  dropped  the  following  year, 
and  established  the  name  Christian.  Those  who  entered 
into  this  new  organization  in  1794  numbered  about  one 
thousand,  and  many  more  united  with  them  the  next 
year." 

In  a  few  years  they  had  established  churches  in  many 
portions  of  North  Carolina  and  Virginia,  having  many 
devoted  and  God-fearing  men  and  women  worshiping  at 
its  altars.  They  began  the  publication  of  a  periodical  at 
Hillsboro  in  1844.    Subsequently  it  was  removed  to  Pitts- 


The  First  Schism  in  Methodism.  191 

boro,  where  it  was  continued  to  be  issued  until  the  death 
of  its  editor,  Elder  Kerr.  It  was  called  The  Christian 
Sun,  and  was  published  semi-monthly.  It  was  later 
moved  to  Raleigh,  and  in  1852  it  appeared  as  a  well- 
printed  weekly.  It  has  since  been  removed  to  Elon  Col- 
lege, where  it  is  still  published. 

But  while  the  Church  had  some  growth,  O' Kelly  was 
no  doubt  sadly  disappointed.  He  was  ambitious,  and 
when  he  saw  all  but  one  of  the  itinerants  return  and  again 
r^lly  around  the  standard  of  Methodism,  he  was  greatly 
humiliated.  He  lived  to  see  Bishop  Asbury  "descend  to 
his  grave  in  peace  and  full  of  honors,  mourned  by  grateful 
thousands,  as  the  father  of  American  Methodism" ;  and 
his  place  filled  by  McKendree,  whom  he  had  expected  to 
see  a  leader  in  his  own  works.  If  O'Kelly  regretted  his 
course,  he  never  publicly  expressed  it.  Peter  Doub  says 
he  saw  a  letter  written  by  O'Kelly  to  Rev.  Edward  Can- 
non, presiding  elder  on  the  Yadkin  District,  in  which  he 
expressed  a  regret  as  to  the  condition  of  his  followers, 
and  asked  that  Cannon  take  them  "officially  under  his 
charge,"  saying  "I  am  too  old,  and  circumstances  forbid 
me  from  doing  so  myself."1  Just  what  O'Kelly  meant  by 
this  is  not  exactly  clear,  but  it  leads  us  to  the  conclusion 
that  he  was  not  satisfied  as  to  the  final  outcome  of  his 
efforts. 

Bishop  Asbury  visited  him  in  1802,  and  makes  this 
statement  in  his  Journal :  "We  met  in  peace,  asked  of  each 

1Peter  Doub,  in  the  Enterprise,  May  14,  1866.  Edward  Cannon 
was  appointed  to  the  Yadkin  District  in  1814-17.  It  was  during 
this  time  that  the  letter  was  written. 


192  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

other's  welfare,  talked  of  persons  and  things  indifferently, 
prayed,  and  parted  in  peace.  Not  a  word  was  said  of  the 
troubles  of  former  times — perhaps  this  is  the  last  inter- 
view we  shall  have  upon  earth."  O'Kelly  settled  in 
Orange  county,  North  Carolina,  and  lived  to  the  good 
old  age  of  ninety-one  years.  There  he  built  a  church 
which  still  bears  his  name,  and  where  his  memory  is  still 
held  in  great  veneration  by  all  classes.  After  a  long  and 
stormy  life,  he  died  in  peace  on  the  16th  clay  of  October, 

1826.  

About  the  same  time  ofttheO' Kelly  an  schisnfr  there  was 
another  division  in  the  Church,  though  of  less  magnitude, 
which  began  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in  1791. 
However,  it  affected  Methodism  in  North  Carolina  very 
little.  It  was  brought  about  by  Mr.  William  Hammett, 
who  was  an  Irishman  by  birth.  He  had  been  a  Methodist 
preacher  in  the  West  Indies.  He  had  not  been  in  Charles- 
ton long  before  he  endeavored  to  lay  his  plan  for  a  separa- 
tion, and  to  use  his  influence  to  divide  the  Methodist  So- 
ciety. He  left  the  Methodists  himself,  and  began  to 
preach  in  the  market  house  of  the  city.  He  never  re- 
turned to  preach  among  us  as  a  Methodist  preacher.  In 
1792  he  drew  off  "a  great  part  of  the  Society"  in  Charles- 
ton. Several  local  preachers  joined  him,  but  no  traveling 
preacher.  This  is  a  remarkable  fact,  as  is  also  the  fact 
that  only  one  went  with  O'Kelly.  Mr.  Hammett  called 
his  party  the  ^primitive  Methodists/^  His  purpose  was 
to  make  the  people  believe  that  he  was  on  the  plan  that 
the  Methodists  set  out  with  at  the  beginning.  He  built 
a  large  church  in  the  city,  and  one  in  the  suburbs.     His 


The  First  Schism  in  Methodism.  193 

followers  also  erected  one  at  Georgetown,  one  in  Savan- 
nah, and  another  in  Wilmington,  North  Carolina.  Here 
he  collected  a  large  congregation  of  colored  people.  Mr. 
Hammett  wrote  several  pamphlets  against  the  Methodists, 
some  of  which  were  replied  to  by  Thomas  Morrill  and  Dr. 
Coke.  Hammett  died  on  May  14,  1803,  after  a  short  ill- 
ness. After  his  death  the  Society  became  greatly  scat- 
tered. His  church  in  Georgetown  was  turned  over  to  the 
Methodists,  and  the  one  in  Savannah  was  seldom  used. 
The  one  in  Wilmington  was  finally  turned  over  to  the 
Methodists. 

But  the  final  wind  up  of  all  these  divisions  was  pre- 
dicted by  Bishop  Asbury,  where  he  said :  "The  General 
Conference  and  the  District  Conferences  have  kept  us  a 
long  time  from  our  work;  but  after  all  Satan's  spite,  I 
think  our  sifting  and  shaking  will  be  for  good  :  I  expect  a 
glorious  revival  will  take  place  in  America,  and  thou- 
sands be  brought  to  God."  This  prophecy  was  fulfilled 
within  the  next  decade,  with  one  of  the  greatest  revivals 
that  the  world  has  ever  known  since  the  day  of  Pentecost. 
*3 


CHAPTER  XII. 

GROWTH    IN    THE    CENTRAL    PART    OF    NORTH     CAROLINA, 
I784   TO    l800. 

Division  of  Circuits.  Haw  River  Circuit  Appears  for  the  First 
Time  in  1793.  Henry  Willis.  Thomas  Humphreys — Incidents. 
William  Partridge.  Thomas  Bowen.  Isaac  Lowe.  Early  Life 
of  William  Burke.  Quarterly  Meeting  at  Hawfield.  Thomas 
Ware  on  the  Caswell  Circuit — Blessed  with  a  Great  Revival — 
Appointed  Presiding  Elder.  General  Bryan  Converted.  Enoch 
George  and  Henry  Hill  on  Caswell.  Revival  in  Guilford.  Bish- 
op George  Preaches  in  John  Street  Chapel.  Coleman  Carlisle. 
Mount  Pleasant  Church  on  Haw  River  Circuit.  Thomas  Mann. 
Daniel  Hall.  Sairmel  S.  Steward.  Expulsion  of  Simon  Carlisle. 
Lewis  Garrett.  Bishop  Asbury  Again  in  North  Carolina.  Francis 
Poythress  on  a  Large  District.     Size  of  Districts. 

Three  circuits  appear  on  the  minutes  for  1779 — New 
Hope,  Tar  River,  and  Roanoke.  In  another  chapter  we 
followed  the  development  of  Methodism  in  the  territory 
embraced  by  the  "Old  Roanoke  Circuit,"  and  found  that 
in  1800  there  were  eight  circuits  in  that  section  of  the 
state,  with  a  membership  of  white  and  colored  of  three 
thousand  three  hundred  and  eighty-four.  Now,  let  us 
turn  our  attention  to  the  growth  of  Methodism  in  the 
central  part  of  the  state. 

In  1784,  in  what  had  been  the  two  circuits,  New  Hope 
and  Tar  River,  there  were  five  circuits  embraced  in  this 
territory — namely,  Guilford,  Caswell,  Wilmington,  New 
Hope,  and  Tar  River — with  a  membership  of  one  thou- 
sand one  hundred  and  fifty-seven.  There  were  very  few 
changes  in  circuit  boundaries  in  the  next  ten  years.  In 
094) 


HENRY    WILLIE 


Growth  in  the  Central  Section.  195 

1786  Wilmington  disappeared  from  the  list  of  appoint- 
ments, and  Bladen,  embracing"  practically  the  same  terri- 
tory, was  added  in  1787.  There  was  no  further  change 
until  1793,  when  Haw  River  appears -among  the  appoint- 
ments. This  circuit  was  formed  from  the  New  Hope  and 
Tar  River  circuits.  Haw  River  only  appeared  on  the 
minutes  for  one  year  (1793),  and  is  not  mentioned  again 
until  1797.  Franklin  was  formed  in  1794.  The  consid- 
eration of  Methodism  in  the  Cape  Fear  section  will  be 
reserved  for  another  chapter. 

Perhaps  no  one  man  did  more  to  develop  Methodism  on 
the  old  New  Hope  Circuit  than  Henry  Willis.  He  was 
born  in  Brunswick  county,  Va.,  and  entered  the  itinerancy 
in  1779.  His  bodily  infirmities  were  great,  being  fragile 
in  form  and  weak  physically,  yet  he  did  a  very  arduous 
work.  His  portrait  shows  a  countenance  expressive  of 
deep  piety  and  sweet  disposition,  which  were  duly  char- 
acteristic of  him.  He  labored  extensively  from  New  Yorlc 
to  Charleston,  and  wherever  he  went  the  cause  of  Christ 
was  built  up  and  his  influence  was  as  "ointment  poured 
forth."  After  a  lingering  illness,  he  died  with  a  strong 
confidence  in  God. 

The  Guilford  Circuit  was  served  in  1785  by  John 
Smith  and  Stephen  Johnson.  Smith  was  received  into 
the  Conference  in  1784  and  disappeared  in  1789,  while 
Johnson  had  just  been  received,  and  this  was  his  first  year. 
He  traveled  one  year  in  South  Carolina,  and  during  that 
year  he  doubled  the  membership  on  his  circuit. 

Thomas  Humphreys  and  Isaac  Smith  were  on  the  Tar 
River  Circuit.     They  were  both  men  of  superior  ability. 


196  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Mr.  Humphreys  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  was  ad- 
mitted on  trial  in  1783.  His  first  appointment  was  Berk- 
ley. The  two  following  years  he  traveled  respectively  the 
Guilford  and  Tar  River  circuits.  He  assisted  in  forming 
the  Little  Pee  Dee  Circuit  in  1789,  and  was  presiding 
elder  in  1797.  "He  was  a  man  of  fine  personal  appear- 
ance, preached  with  great  earnestness  and  power,  and  was 
distinguished  for  his  native  wit  and  fearlessness.  In  the 
judgment  of  Mr.  Travis,  who  often  heard  him,  he  was 
one  of  the  greatest  natural  orators  of  his  day,  though  by 
no  means  free  from  eccentricities." 

Dr.  Shipp,  in  his  "History  of  Methodism  in  South  Car- 
olina," relates  some  incidents  that  show  the  style  of  his 
preaching.  They  also  show  the  plainness  of  speech  that 
was  used  by  the  early  Methodist  preachers  in  this  country. 
While  on  the  way  to  church  one  Sunday,  a  good  sister 
said  to  him  in  a  timid  yet  persuasive  tone,  "Now,  brother 
Humphreys,  recollect  you  are  to  preach  to  town  folks ;  it 
will  not  do  to  be  too  plain."  Mr.  Humphreys  made  no 
response,  but  the  good  sister  felt  encouraged  to  hope  for 
a  discourse  in  full  accordance  with  town  culture.  In 
preaching,  however,  with  great  earnestness  on  the  duty 
of  repentance,  he  said,  with  full  emphasis,  "If  you  don't 
repent,  you'll  all  be  damned."  With  the  air  of  sudden 
recollection,  and  very  great  alarm,  he  jumped  back  in  the 
pulpit  and  began  to  apologize :  "I  beg  your  pardon ;  you 
are  town  folks."  This  he  repeated  several  times  during 
the  discourse,  in  each  instance  suiting  the  action  to  the 
word,  and  adding  at  the  last,  "If  you  are  town  folks,  if 
you  don't  repent  and  become  converted,  God  will  cast  you 


Growth  in  the  Central  Section.  197 

into  hell  just  as  soon  as  he  will  a  piney-woods  sinner." 
The  timid  sister  sat  with  her  head  bowed  in  great,  disap- 
pointment, fully  resolved  never  to  try  to  teach  Mr.  Hum- 
phreys any  more  pulpit  aesthetics. 

On  one  occasion  he  was  preaching  at  a  church  where 
there  had  been  some  time  before  a  great  revival  of  re- 
ligion. A  dancing  master  had  come  into  the  neighbor- 
hood to  make  up  a  school,  and  some  of  the  young  converts 
had  been  persuaded  to  enter  it.  Mr.  Humphreys  in  his 
sermon  described  in  a  graphic  manner  the  wiles  of  the 
devil,  traced  out  in  minute  detail  his  multifarious  ways  to 
ruin  souls,  all  along  developing  lines  of  resemblance  be- 
tween Satan  and  a  dancing  master,  until  at  length  the  lat- 
ter could  stand  it  no  longer.  He  accordingly  took  up  his 
hat  and  started  toward  the  door:  just  as  he  approached  it, 
Mr.  Humphreys  said,  with  loud  and  impressive  voice, 
"But,  brethren,  resist  the  devil,  and  he  will  flee  from  you 
just  like  the  dancing  master."  He  no  more  made  his  ap- 
pearance in  the  neighborhood.  In  addition  to  serving 
the  Guilford  and  Tar  River  Circuits  in  North  Carolina, 
Mr.  Humphreys  served  Salisbury  in  1787.  He  lived 
to  a  good  old  age,  loved  and  esteemed  by  all  who  knew 
him. 

Isaac  Smith  only  remained  on  the  Tar  River  Circuit  a 
part  of  the  year,  having  to  fill  a  vacancy  on  an  adjoining 
circuit,  during  the  necessary  absence  of  its  preacher.1 
Henry  Jones  was  this  year  on  the  New  Hope  Circuit.  He 
was  admitted  in  1782,  and  served  Pittsylvania,  Fluvania, 

'Sprague's  Annals,  page  104. 


198  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

New  Hope,  and  Brunswick.  After  1787  his  name  disap- 
pears from  the  minutes. 

This  section  of  the  state  was  well  served  in  1786. 
Thomas  Anderson  and  Micajah  Tracy  were  on  the  Tar 
River  Circuit,  William  Partridge  on  New  Hope,  John 
Baldwin  on  Guilford,  and  Sihon  Smith  on  Caswell.  Some 
of  these  gave  long  and  efficient  service  to  the  Church. 
There  is  only  one  in  this  list  that  deserves  special  mention 
in  this  connection,  and  that  is  William  Partridge.  He 
was  born  in  Virginia  in  1754.  At  about  twenty  years  of 
age  he  embraced  religion.  He  entered  the  traveling  con- 
nection in  1780,  and  traveled  nineteen  years.  Then  he 
spent  twenty-five  years  of  his  life  as  a  local  preacher; 
reentered  the  itinerancy,  and  while  on  the  Sparta  charge, 
Georgia,  he  died  in  1817.  As  a  preacher  he  was  "experi- 
mental, practical,  and  plain,  and  none  were  at  a  loss  to  un- 
derstand him."  Micajah  Tracy  joined  the  Conference  in 
1786,  and  located  in  1791. 

In  1787  Tar  River  and  New  Hope  were  served  by  two 
men,  if  we  may  judge  by  the  appointments  they  filled, 
who  became  leaders  in  the  Church.  They  both  served 
some  of  the  strongest  charges,  and  they  both  in  after  years 
became  Book  Stewards.  The  men  referred  to  are  John 
Baldwin  and  Thomas  Bowen.  The  latter,  after  serving  a 
number  of  circuits,  Roanoke  and  Tar  River  among  them, 
was  made  presiding  elder.  He  filled  this  important  and 
delicate  office — and  especially  was  it  important  and  deli- 
cate at  that  particular  period — 1790  to  1795.  This  may 
seem  a  short  term  to  remain  in  that  coveted  office,  but  it 
was  quite  a  long  one  at  that  time.     At  the  Conference  in 


Growth  in  the  Central  Section.  199 

1795  he  was  appointed  Book  Steward.     His  name  then 
disappears  from  the  minutes. 

Isaac  Lowe  had  a  great  deal  to  do  in  developing  Meth- 
odism in  this  part  of  the  state.  He  spent  the  most  of  his 
itinerant  life  in  the  central  part  of  the  state  as  circuit 
preacher  and  presiding  elder.  He  was  admitted  into  the 
Conference  in  1787,  and  after  spending  one  year  on  Or- 
ange Circuit  he  was  appointed  to  Caswell  in  1789.  In 
1790  he  was  on  the  New  Hope.  It  was  during  this  year 
that  William  Burke  was  awakened  under  his  ministry; 
and  if  he  had  done  nothing  more  than  this,  he  would  have 
started  an  influence  for  good  that  can  only  be  measured 
in  eternity.  William  Burke  had  come  from  Virginia  in 
1787  with  his  father  and  settled  in  Guilford  county,  not 
far  from  Guilford  Courthouse.  He  soon  removed  to 
High  Ford  on  Haw  River.  Here  he  entered  into  all  the 
amusements  of  the  day,  and  became  very  worldly  and  sin- 
ful ;  but  after  hearing  Lowe  preach,  he  never  rested  until 
he  had  obtained  experimental  religion.  It  was  the  cus- 
tom then  to  call  on  the  young  converts  to  talk  and  pray  in 
public.  He  says,  "I  took  up  my  cross  and  continued  to 
pray  at  every  meeting."  They  saw  his  ability,  and  soon 
put  him  forward  to  conduct  the  meetings.  He  says :  "The 
heavenly  flame  spread  through  the  neighborhood,  and  the 
neighboring  classes  caught  the  holy  fire,  and  in  a  short 
time  hundreds  attended  our  night  meeting,  and  spent  the 
whole  night,  while  the  mourners  were  down  in  the  house 
and  all  over  the  yard,  crying  mightily  to  God  for  mercy. 
That  year  George  McKinney,  a  son  of  thunder,  was  sent 


200  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

to  Guilford  Circuit,  who  entered  fully  into  the  work,  and 
great  numbers  were  added  to  the  Church."1 

Mr.  Burke  continued  to  exercise  his  gifts  in  this  way 
until  the  month  of  August,  when  he  attended  a  quarterly 
meeting  at'  the  Hawfield,  on  the  New  Hope  Circuit. 
There  was  a  great  congregation  present  on  Sunday. 
Thomas  Ware  was  the  presiding  elder,  but  Thomas 
Bowen  was  at  the  quarterly  meeting  on  a  tour  south,  and 
preached  the  first  sermon  on  Sunday.  A  great  revival  fol- 
lowed, and  "many  in  that  quarter  had  never  seen  the  like 
before." 

Isaac  Lowe  was  then  on  the  New  Hope  Circuit,  and  in- 
sisted that  young  Burke  should  accompany  him  round 
the  circuit,  and  it  required  six  weeks  to  make  the  tour. 
He  did  so,  "preaching  time  about"  until  Lowe  was  taken 
sick  and  returned  home,  leaving  Burke  to  complete  the 
round.  When  Burke  returned  home,  he  found  that  one 
of  the  preachers  had  left  Guilford  Circuit  and  gone  home, 
and  he  was  requested  to  take  his  place,  which  he  did  with 
great  acceptability. 

He  attended  the  Annual  Conference  at  McKnight's, 
and  there  appearing  to  be  no  vacancy,  he  returned  home ; 
"but,"  he  says,  "my  mind  was  not  at  rest."  He  continued 
to  preach  as  a  local  preacher,  preaching  three,  four,  and 
five  times  a  week,  and  riding  forty  and  fifty  miles.  The 
next  Conference  was  held  at  Green  Hill's,  where  he  was 
admitted  on  trial  and  sent  to  the  West  New  River  Circuit 
on  the  head  waters  of  the  Kanawha  River,  in  the  state  of 

Autobiography  of  William  Burke,  in  "Western  Methodism," 
page  26. 


WILLIAM    BURKE. 


Growth  in  the  Central  Section.  201 

Virginia.  He  continued  to  travel  in  this  western  country 
until  1797,  when  he  was  appointed  to  the  Guilford  Cir- 
cuit. While  on  this  circuit  he  made  his  home  with  his 
father,  near  the  High  Rock  ford  on  Haw  River,  Rocking- 
ham county.  For  some  reason,  here  in  this  beautiful  and 
usually  plentiful  Piedmont  section  he  found  great  distress, 
and  many  perished  for  want  of  breadstuff's. 

During  the  year  he  attended  the  General  Conference 
which  assembled  in  Baltimore.  Throughout  Mr.  Burke's 
long  career  he  labored  successfully  in  North  Carolina, 
Virginia,  Tennessee,  and  Ohio.  He  filled  every  appoint- 
ment with  ability  equal  to  that  which  the  occasion  re- 
quired. He  did  not  lack  in  executive  ability.  His  preach- 
ing was,  from  what  we  can  learn,  of  a  high  order,  with 
the  voice  of  thunder.  He  was  a  strong  man  in  debate,  and 
engaged  in  a  public  debate  on  two  occasions. 

Isaac  Lowe  was  appointed  presiding  elder  in  1791  over 
the  following  charges:  Caswell,  Guilford,  Yadkin,  Lin- 
coln, Anson,  and  Salisbury.  In  1772-4  he  was  returned 
to  the  same  district.  He  located  in  1795.  George  Mc- 
Kinney,  who  was  referred  to  by  William  Burke  as  a  "son 
of  thunder,"  and  who  served  the  Guilford  Circuit  in  1770, 
was  admitted  that  year,  and  located  in  1794. 

At  the  Conference  at  McKnight's  in  1789,  Thomas 
Ware  was  appointed  to  the  Caswell  Circuit;  and  he  says. 
"At  the  close  of  the  Conference,  I  set  out  for  my  field  of 
labor,  poorly  clad  and  nearly  penniless,  but  happy  in  God." 
The  year  before  he  had  traveled  in  Holston,  and  he  con- 
tinues by  saying:  "In  the  Holston  country  there  was  but 
little  money,  and  clothing  was  very  clear.     My  coat  was 


202  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

worn  through  at  the  elbows ;  and  I  had  not  a  whole  under- 
garment left;  and  as  for  boots,  I  had  none.  But  my 
health  was  good,  and  I  was  finely  mounted.  I  could  have 
sold  my  horse  for  sufficient  to  purchase  another  to  answer 
my  purpose,  and  clothe  myself  decently;  but  he  had  borne 
me  safely  through  so  many  dangers,  and  once,  at  least,  by 
his  instinctive  sagacity,  rescued  me  from  perishing,  that 
I  had  resolved  that  nothing  but  death  should  separate  us. 
This>  however,  soon  occurred ;  for  in  a  few  days  this  noble 
animal,  my  sole  property  in  the  world  at  that  time,  sick- 
ened and  died;  so  there  I  was  an  entire  stranger,  several 
hundred  miles  from  home,  without  horse,  decent  clothing, 
or  funds.  But  not  without  friends.  The  good  brother 
with  whom  I  stayed  gave  me  a  horse  for  four  weeks  on 
trial;  and  I  determined  to  go  to  Newbern,  and  try  my 
credit  for  clothing."1 

While  the  Methodist  preachers  were  often  persecuted 
at  that  day,  yet  they  were  never  long  without  friends  in 
North  Carolina.  Especially  was  this  true  with  men  like 
Thomas  Ware,  a  man  with  much  natural  ability  highly 
cultured  for  his  day  and  time.  His  horse  was  all  his  cap- 
ital, his  companion  through  long  and  lonely  hours  of 
travel  over  mountains  and  through  dense  forests.  Yet 
among  strangers,  without  money,  without  clothes,  and  in 
the  midst  of  his  misfortune,  he  found  friends  and  was 
happy  in  God.  The  history  of  the  world  does  not  show 
another  class  of  men  like  the  early  itinerants  of  Metho- 
dism in  this  country. 


"Memoir  of  Thomas  Ware,"  1839,  page  161. 


THOMAS    WARE. 


Growth  in  the  Central  Section.  203 

On  his  way  to  Xewbern,  Thomas  Ware  called  at  the 
house  of  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Howe,  who  though 
not  a  Methodist  was  friendly  to  them.  They  talked  of  the 
western  country,  in  which  Air.  Howe  seemed  deeply  in- 
terested. He  learned  of  Mr.  Ware's  destitute  condition, 
and  was  deeply  affected ;  and  of  his  business  to  Newbern 
to  purchase  clothing,  where  he  knew  no  one.  On  his  de- 
parture, Mr.  Howe  handed  him  a  letter  to  deliver  to  his 
clerk  at  his  store  in  Newbern.  Little  did  Air.  Ware  think 
at  the  time  that  the  letter  contained  directions  for  the 
clerk  to  let  him  have  goods  to  the  amount  of  twenty-five 
dollars.  'Thus  did  the  Lord  provide,"  says  Thomas  Ware. 

He  returned  to  his  circuit  (Caswell),  and  soon  after- 
wards visited  a  pleasant  settlement  consisting  almost  ex- 
clusively of  Episcopalians,  who  had  long  been  without  a 
minister.  They  requested  him  to  preach  for  them,  and 
baptize  their  children,  which  he  did  and  found  them  ripe 
for  the  gospel.  Many  children  were  brought  and  dedi- 
cated to  God  in  baptism.  He  addressed  the  parents,  who 
became  deeply  affected.  He  went  to  spend  the  night  in 
the  neighborhood,  and  though  no  appointment  had  been 
made,  the  house  was  filled  with  people.  He  preached, 
and  the  mother  of  the  family  where  he  was  stopping 
began  to  cry  for  mercy.  Great  commotion  followed.  He 
continued  to  pray  and  exhort  until  midnight.  The  meet- 
ing continued  with  increasing  interest,  and  in  "six  weeks," 
Ware  says,  "we  had  a  society  in  this  place  of  eighty  mem- 
bers, mostly  heads  of  families."1  This  great  work  of 
grace  began  with  the  baptizing  of  infant  children. 

"'Life  of  Ware,"  page  164. 


204  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

In  1790  he  was  appointed  presiding  elder  on  a  district 
consisting  of  the  following  charges :  New  Hope,  Bladen, 
Tar  River,  East  New  River,  Contentney,  Halifax,  Meck- 
lenburg, and  Cumberland.  This  district  embraced  a  ter- 
ritory from  Burlington  to  Cape  Hatteras,  and  from  be- 
low Wilmington  to  some  distance  into  Virginia.  During 
the  year  there  was  a  great  revival  at  one  point  on  New 
River.  In  one  family  there  were  thirty  who  professed  re- 
ligion, twelve  whites  and  eighteen  colored.  This  was  in 
the  family  of  a  distinguished  lawyer  and  a  professed  deist, 
General  Bryan.1  His  wife  at  a  favorable  moment  had  ob- 
tained a  promise  from  the  General  to  attend  her  to  the 
quarterly  meeting.  When  the  day  arrived,  the  coach  and 
servants  were  in  readiness  to  convey  Mrs.  Bryan,  but  the 
General  refused  to  go.  This  was  a  great  disappointment 
to  her,  and  she  said  she  would  not  go  without  him.  After 
hesitating  for  a  moment,  she  ordered  the  carriage  put  up. 
and  then,  with  a  forced  smile,  said :  "I  must  forgive  you, 
General,  this  ungentlemanly  act,  as  it  is  the  first  I  have 
had  to  complain  of.  If  you,  sir,  can  lightly  get  over  your 
pledge,  I  cannot  get  over  mine.  I  have  said  I  would  not 
go  without  you."  She  added,  "If  my  husband  was  a 
Christian,  I  should  be  one  of  the  happiest  of  women.'' 
She  burst  into  tears,  and  the  General  said,  "I  cannot  re- 
sist the  eloquence  of  tears;  dry  them  up,  and  I  will  go." 

JThe  facts  in  reference  to  General  Bryan  are  from  the  "Memoir 
of  Thomas  Ware."  The  General's  initials  are  not  given,  but  from 
all  the  light  we  can  obtain  we  feel  very  confident  that  it  was  Gen- 
eral William  Bryan,  of  Craven  county,  who  was  appointed  in  1776 
Brigadier  General  of  the  Newbern  District.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Assembly  at  Hillsboro  in  1775,  and  at  Halifax  in  1776. 


Growth  in  the  Central  Section.  205 

Thomas  Ware,  in  giving  an  account  of  this  incident, 
says:  "On  Sunday  morning  the  General  and  his  lady 
were  seated  again  in  the  congregation.  Preaching,  with 
short  intervals,  continued  for  several  hours,  and  the 
whole  assembly  were,  from  time  to  time,  bowed  down  like 
the  slender  reed  before  the  passing  breeze;  but  none  of 
them  as  yet  lost  their  elasticity.  Many  hearts  became 
bruised,  but  none  broken.  The  last  that  spoke  melted  his 
suitors  on  these  affecting  words,  namely,  'Which  none  of 
the  princes  of  this  world  knew;  for  had  they  knozvn  it, 
they  would  not  have  crucified  the  Lord  of  glory.'  Under 
this  discourse  General  Bryan  was  seen  to  weep"  ;*  and 
many  were  surprised  when  he  arose  and  asked  permission 
to  speak.  And  in  addressing  them,  he  made  a  confession 
of  his  belief  in  God,  and  in  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  as  his 
only  Saviour.  The  congregation  was  deeply  moved,  and 
the  meeting  continued  until  sundown,  while  many  others 
returned  to  the  Lord. 

Just  before  leaving  North  Carolina,  Thomas  Ware  had 
a  very  unusual  offer  made  him.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  he  came  here  a  stranger,  with  no  money  and  not 
decently  clad,  but  he  found  friends.  And  now,  as  he  is 
about  to  leave,  an  aged  couple  having  no  children  but 
good  property  offered  him  all  of  their  estate  if  he  would 
remain  with  them.  He  says,  "This  presented  a  strong  in- 
ducement to  exchange  a  life  of  poverty  and  toil  for  one 
of  affluence  and  ease."  But  it  was  refused,  that  he  might 
continue  in  the  itinerancy. 

"'Life  of  Ware,"  page  166. 


206  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Thomas  Ware  was  a  man  of  learning  as  well  as  being 
an  all-round  man.  He  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  December 
J9»  l75&-  At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  was  converted 
under  the  ministry  of  Caleb  Pedicord.  His  name  appears 
on  the  minutes  for  the  first  time  in  1784.  He  traveled  two 
years  in  Holston,  two  in  North  Carolina,  and  his  next  ap- 
pointment was  Wilmington,  Delaware.  His  ministerial 
career  extended  over  a  period  of  more  than  fifty-seven 
years,  and  he  was  for  some  time  before  his  death  the  old- 
est Methodist  preacher  in  the  country.  He  was  elected 
in  18 12  one  of  the  Editors  and  Book  Stewards,  where  he 
served  for  four  years.  He  died  in  Salem,  N.  J.,  March 
11,  1842.  Thus  passed  away  one  of  the  most  cultured 
and  heroic  men  of  early  Methodism. 

In  1 79 1  another  was  sent  to  the  Caswell  Circuit  who 
afterwards  rose  to  great  distinction  in  his  Church.  The 
preacher  referred  to  is  Enoch  George,  who  was  elected 
and  ordained  a  bishop  in  181 6.  His  colleague  on  the  Cas- 
well Circuit  was  that  great  and  good  man,  Henry  Hill, 
said  by  Mr.  Asbury  "to  have  been  the  evening  star  of  that 
period  in  Methodism."  He  had  been  educated  for  a 
lawyer,  but  when  God  laid  his  hand  upon  him,  and  sent 
him  out  to  call  sinners  to  repentance,  he  went  "as  a  star 
in  God's  right  hand."  Enoch  George  says  they  com- 
pleted their  labors  "on  the  circuit  with  pleasure  and  suc- 
cess."1 During  the  year  a  strong  and  lasting  friendship 
was  started  between  these  ministers  of  the  gospel  that 
grew  stronger  as  the  years  went  by. 

'Methodist  Magazine,  Vol.  XII.,  page  134. 


ENOCH    GEORGE. 


Growth  in  the  Central  Section.  207 

The  next  year,  1792,  Enoch  George  is  on  the  Guilford 
Circuit,  where,  he  says,  "it  pleased  the  Head  of  the 
Church  to  revive  his  work  gloriously."  Here  Mr,  George 
found  more  "noise  and  extravagance  of  various  kinds" 
than  he  had  ever  seen  before,  and  much  of  it  he  failed  to 
endorse.  This  year  the  General  Conference  met,  in  which 
the  O'Kellyan  schism  arose.  Isaac  Lowe,  the  presiding 
elder,  being  afflicted  and  unable  to  go,  sent  George  in  his 
stead,  which  was  quite  complimentary  to  one  of  his  years. 

But  Enoch  George  was  destined  to  reap  greater  honors 
still,  for  he  continued  to  grow  in  popularity  as  a  preacher 
and  as  a  man  of  superior  ability,  until  in  1816  he  was 
elected  to  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  Church. 
This  place  he  filled  with  great  ability,  being  always  equal 
to  every  occasion.  Rev.  Samuel  Luckey  described  a  scene 
in  Old  John  Street  Chapel  in  New  York  which  occurred 
about  a  month  after  Enoch  George  was  made  bishop. 
When  the  speaker  appeared  and  it  was  whispered  from 
seat  to  seat,  "It  is  Bishop  George,"  a  disappointed  ex- 
pression was  depicted  on  many  faces.  As  he  read  his 
hymn,  every  one  seemed  startled.  They  could  hardly  be- 
lieve that  such  a  voice  could  come  from  a  man  so  ordinary 
in  appearance.  He  looked  like -a  weather-beaten  soldier. 
"His  hair,  which  was  thick  and  bushy,  was  parted  in  the 
center  and  thrown  loosely  back  upon  his  back  and  shoul- 
ders. His  dress  was  not  only  plain,  but  slovenly — not 
at  all  in  keeping  with  the  place  which  he  occupied."  So 
when  this  rough-looking  man  began  to  enunciate  his  hymn 
in  that  clear,  penetrating  voice,  no  wonder  they  were 
startled.     But  in  the  midst  of  his  sermon,  "like  a  mighty 


208  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

cataract,  he  rushed  on  with  constantly  increasing  impetu- 
osity, till  every  nerve  that  had  braced  itself  to  resist  was 
unstrung,  and  his  hearers  seemed  passively  to  resign  them- 
selves to  an  influence  which  was  too  strong  for  them."1 

Bishop  George  was  a  man  unassuming  and  diffident 
almost  to  a  fault.  He  had  fine  conversational  powers  in 
the  midst  of  his  intimate  friends,  but  studiously  avoided 
the  company  of  strangers.  He  was  a  man  of  great  humil- 
ity, piety,  and  usefulness.  His  death  was  one  of  victory, 
and  his  last  words  were  full  of  intense  rapture. 

Coleman  Carlisle  traveled  the  Tar  River  Circuit  in 
1793.  Up  to  this  time  the  territory  about  Raleigh  had 
been  embraced  in  the  Tar  River  Circuit,  but  this  year  the 
Haw  River  Circuit  was  formed,  and  all  that  territory  was 
embraced  in  it.  The  arrangement  only  continued  one 
year,  and  Haw  River  does  not  appear  again  on  the  min- 
utes until  1797.  From  that  time,  the  Haw  River  Circuit 
extended  east  to  Edward  Morris's,  which  was  about  a 
half  mile  from  Hunts ville  on  the  Raleigh  and  Gaston 
Railroad.2 

Coleman  Carlisle  joined  the  Conference  in  1792,  and  at 
the  close  of  1803  located.  He  reentered  in  1819  and 
served  until  1823,  when  he  located  from  absolute  neces- 
sity. "I  have  known  him,"  says  Mr.  Travis,  "after  re- 
turning home  from  several  miles  distant,  after  supper  to 
take  the  same  horse  (having  but  one)  and  plow  him  by 
moonlight  until  near  midnight,  and  then  go  off  next 
morning  to  his  appointments."     He  was  a  very  popular 

^prague's  Annals,  page  193. 

2"Centennial  of  Methodism,"  1876,  page  88. 


ROCKY    RIVER    CHURCH. 

This  building  is  in  Chatham  Count}-  four  miles  southeast  of  Liberty,  and  was  erected 

under  the  direction  of  Bishop  Asbury,  about  1791. 


Growth  in  the  Central  Section.  209 

preacher,  and  was  sent  for  far  and  near  to  preach  funeral 
sermons,  for  which  he  received  no  compensation.  But 
he  is  now  reaping  his  reward.  Of  course  up  to  this  time 
there  were  very  few  houses  of  worship  that  deserved  the 
name  of  a  church,  according  to  our  idea  of  a  church  build- 
ing, yet  God  owned  and  blessed  his  word,  and  souls  were 
converted  and  made  happy  in  his  love ;  and  what  need  we 
care  for  the  style  of  house?  They  were  all  built  very 
much  alike,  and  to  describe  one  is  to  give  some  idea  of 
them  all.  Mr.  E.  W.  Atwater,  in  the  Raleigh  Christian 
Advocate  for  November  4,  1888,  vividly  described  the 
old  Mount  Pleasant  church  on  the  Haw  River  Circuit, 
now  a  very  strong  country  church.  He  says  there  was  a 
society  there  as  early  as  1790.  "Soon  after  this  a  church 
was  built  upon  this  lot,  of  unhewed  logs,  covered  with 
boards  which  were  held  in  place  with  poles  and  rocks  in- 
stead of  nails,  with  no  floor  except  that  nature  provided, 
and  split  logs  laid  upon  other  logs  large  enough  to  raise 
them  sufficiently  were  the  pews  with  which  this  first 
church  was  furnished.  It  was  in  this  rude  house  that  the 
Methodists  began  the  work  of  Christianizing  this  com- 
munity, which  was  desperately  wicked." 

In  1794  Thomas  Mann  was  appointed  to  the  Tar  River 
Circuit,  having  just  been  admitted  into  the  Conference. 
•He  was  born  in  Virginia,  April  1st,  1769.  He  traveled  in 
North  Carolina,  Virginia,  and  Tennessee.  Here  is  a  par- 
tial list  of  the  appointments  he  filled:  1794,  Tar  River; 
1796,  Union;  1797,  Pamlico;  1798,  Swannanoa ;  1799, 
French  Broad;  1800,  Amelia;  1801,  Cumberland;  1802, 
Sussex:  1803,  Newbern;  1804,  Bertie.  He  continued  in 
'4 


210  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

the  itinerant  ranks  till  called  to  his  reward,  on  June  22, 
1850,  e  years  in  the  ministry.     "As 

a  ministc  trine,  plain  and  practical  in 

preaching,  a. .J  rjenera.Iy  useful  and  acceptable  where  he 
labored.'"1 

Thomas  Mann  wis  followed  on  Tar  River  by  Daniel 
Hall,  who  was  far  alove  the  ordinary.  He  entered  the 
ministry  at  an  early  a~e,  a::d  soon  rose  to  take  a  stand 
among  the  first  class.  "He  possessed  a  sound  judgment, 
was  an  excellent  disciplinarian,  and  as  a  presiding  elder 
had  no  superior  in  the  Church."  He  did  not  often  address 
the  Conference,  but  when  he  did,  his  words  were  listened 
to  with  profound  attention.  For  fifty  years  he  filled  his 
place  as  an  itinerant  Methodist  preacher,  and  did  it  with 
honor  and  usefulness  to  the  Church. 

In  1794  Bishop  Asbury  passed  across  Stokes  county  to 
the  head  waters  of  Dan  River,  where  he  found  Philip 
Sands,  who  served  the  Tar  River  in  1792.  The  bishop, 
in  speaking  of  him,  says :  "I  met  with  Philip  Sands  from 
old  Lynn,  a  child  of  Providence;  after  passing  solemn 
scenes  at  sea,  he  was  taken  off  and  left  in  the  lowlands  of 
North  Carolina.  First  a  Christian,  then  a  preacher.  He 
was  stationed  in  Guilford,  but  offered  himself  a  volunteer 
for  Swannanoa ;  which  station  has  been  vacant  nearly  six 
months,  one  of  the  preachers  there  being  sick  and  the 
other  married." 

Samuel  S.  Steward  was  on  the  Caswell  Circuit  in  1795, 
Lawrence  Mansfield  was  on  the  New  Hope,  and  Daniel 

'"Holston  Methodism,"  Dr.  R.  N.  Price,  page  322, 


Growth  in  the  Central  Section.  211 

Dean  and  William  Wilkerson  were  on  the  Guilford.  For 
thirteen  years  Mr.  Steward  gave  faithful  and  efficient 
service  on  the  following  charges:  1792,  Orange;  1793, 
Franklin;  1794,  Portsmouth;  1795,  Caswell;  1796,  Tar 
River;  1797,  Newbern;  1798,  Guilford;  1799,  Orange; 
1800,  Bottetourt;  1801,  Amelia;  1802,  Mecklenburg; 
1803,  Sussex;  and  located  in  1804.  Daniel  Dean  entered 
the  itinerancy  in  1790  and  located  in  1796. 

William  Burke  was  on  the  Guilford  "Circuit  in  1797, 
and  he  mentions  several  important  events  which  took 
place  on  the  circuit  that  year.  Among  others,  he  men- 
tions the  fact  of  receiving  Simon  Carlisle  back  into  the 
Church.  Carlisle  had  been  a  traveling  preacher  in  the 
Conference,  but  was  expelled  in  1794.  He  was  admitted 
in  1790,  and  appointed  to  the  Caswell  Circuit;  1791,  Lin- 
coln; 1792,  Salisbury;  1793,  Trent;  and  was  dismissed  in 
1794.  Carlisle  was  a  very  talented  young  man,  and  was 
very  acceptable  and  useful  wherever  he  went.  He  had 
just  completed  his  year's  work  on  the  Caswell  Circuit. 
"In  those  days  it  was  the  custom  for  the  preacher  to  select 
some  place  in  the  circuit  which  he  considered  his  home, 
where  he  deposited  for  safe  keeping  his  surplus  books  and 
clothes,  etc.  He  had  made  his  home  at  brother  Harri- 
son's, not  far  from  Dan  River ;  and  on  the  morning  he  was 
about  to  leave  the  circuit  for  the  Annual  Conference,  he 
packed  up  his  things  in  his  saddlebags  and  left  them  in  his 
room  unlocked  and  went  out  to  see  something  about  his 
horse.  In  his  absence  a  wicked  young  man,  son  of  brother 
Harrison,  put  a  pocket  pistol  into  his  saddlebags.  On  his 
return  to  the  room,  without  making  any  examination,  he 


212  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

locked  his  saddlebags  and  left  for  Conference.  When 
he  arrived  at  his  mother's,  on  the  way  to  Conference,  on 
taking  his  things  out  of  his  saddlebags  he  found  a  pocket 
pistol.  He  could  not  account  for  it  being  there ;  but  leav- 
ing it,  he  proceeded  on  to  Conference.  During  the  year 
the  pistol  was  taken  to  a  shop  on  the  road  to  have  some 
repairs  done  to  it,  and  a  person  passing  challenged  the 
same  as  being  the  pistol  of  young  Harrison,  and  the  same 
was  traced  to  brother  Carlisle.  At  the  next  Annual  Con- 
ference he  was  charged  with  the  fact  of  taking  the  pistol, 
and  excommunicated  from  the  Church.  During  the  sum- 
mer of  1796  young  Harrison  was  taken  sick  and  died ;  but 
just  before  his  death  he  made  a  full  confession  of  his 
having  put  the  pistol  into  the  saddlebags  of  brother  Car- 
lisle, with  the  intention  of  injuring  him."1  Mr.  Burke 
says  he  had  the  pleasure  of  restoring  brother  Carlisle  to 
the  bosom  of  the  Church,  to  his  great  joy.  He  remained 
a  minister  in  good  standing  in  the  Church,  living  for 
many  years  in  Middle  Tennessee,  and  finally  connected 
himself  with  the  Tennessee  Conference  as  a  traveling 
preacher. 

Lewis  Garrett  traveled  the  Haw  River  Circuit  in  1797, 
and  Caswell  in  1798.  These  are  the  only  years  of  his 
long  and  useful  life  that  were  spent  in  North  Carolina. 
He  was  born  April  24,  1772,  and  in  1794  he  was  admitted 
into  the  traveling  connection.  He  traveled  extensively 
through  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Virginia,  and  traveled  the 
two  years  mentioned  above  in  North  Carolina.     He  lo- 


1  Autobiography  of  William  Burke. 


Growth  in  the  Central  Section.  213 

cated  in  1805,  and  in  his  writings  he  leaves  this  explana- 
tion why  he  located :  "Twelve  years'  incessant  travel  and 
labor,  upon  an  extensive  scale,  had  considerably  enfeebled 
a  once  robust  constitution.''1  Though  he  was  located,  he 
was  not  idle.  He  was  still  abundant  in  the  work  of  the 
ministry.  In  1816  he  reentered  the  traveling  connection, 
and  after  remaining  active  until  1837  he  again  located; 
but  in  1848  he  appears  as  a  superannuated  preacher  in 
the  Mississippi  Conference,  which  relation  he  sustained 
until  his  death  on  April  28,  1857,  in  the  full  assurance  of 
faith,  aged  eighty-five  years  and  four  days.  His  last 
days  were  spent  as  a  missionary  among  the  colored  people. 
In  October,  1799,  Bishop  Asbury  made  another  visit  to 
North  Carolina.  Coming  into  the  state  from  Virginia, 
he  crossed  Dan  River  at  Perkins  Ferry,  and  went  to  John 
Harris's  in  Rockingham  county.  On  Tuesday,  1st  of  Oc- 
tober, he  was  at  Smith's  meetinghouse,  which  was  on  the 
Guilford  Circuit,  where  he  preached  on  Hebrews  iii.  12, 13. 
He  says:  "We  dined  at  Martin's,  and  then  came  on  to 
father  Low's;  we  have  ridden  but  eight  miles  this  day. 
At  Low's  meetinghouse  a  large  congregation  attended :  I 
spoke  upon  Isaiah  xi.  1.  The  heat  was  very  painful.  I 
suppose  we  congregate  from  three  to  six  thousand  souls 
weekly ;  thus,  if  no  more,  I  can  say  that  my  traveling  hath 
brought  thousands  to  hear  the  gospel  who,  probably, 
would  not  otherwise  have  heard  it."  They  then  went  to 
Covey's  in  Guilford  county.  Then  down  on  South  Fork 
of  Haw  River.     They  attended  a  quarterly  meeting  on 

'"Methodism  in  Tennessee,"  page  181. 


214  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Saturday  and  Sunday  at  Bethel  on  Belew's  Creek,  where 
the  bishop  ordained  five  deacons,  and  had  a  "gracious 
time." 

They  rode  through  Stokes  county,  and  attended  meet- 
ing at  Love's  Church.  Here  the  bishop  found  something 
that  was  so  unusual  that  he  makes  special  mention  of  it. 
In  speaking  of  Love's  Church,  he  says  "it  has  glass  win- 
dows and  a  yard  fenced  in."  Of  course  at  that  day  it  was 
remarkable  for  a  church  to  have  glass  windows.  Jesse 
Lee,  who  was  with  the  bishop,  preached  here.  The  next 
stop  was  at  William  Jean's,  near  the  "Moravian  Old 
Town."  "We  held  meeting,"  says  the  bishop,  "and  had  a 
multitude  of  Germans  present."  They  then  pass  through 
Salem,  and  on  to  McKnight's  and  across  the  Yadkin,  into 
what  is  now  Davie  county,  and  preached  at  Whitaker's 
Church,  near  Brown's  old  mill,  on  Dutchman  Creek. 
Nothing  of  this  old  church  remains  but  the  foundation 
stones.  They  visited  Beal's  Chapel,  which  was  a  few 
miles  north  of  the  present  village  of  Calahan  in  Davie 
county.  Here  Jesse  Lee  preached  on  "The  word  of  the 
Lord  as  a  fire  and  a  hammer" ;  and  the  bishop  on  "Take 
heed  how  ye  hear."  This  was  a  great  day  for  Methodism 
in  that  section.  They  made  their  way  through  Iredell, 
Wilkes,  Burke,  and  Lincoln,  into  South  Carolina. 

In  1800  Francis  Poythress,  who  was  one  of  the  first 
circuit  preachers  in  North  Carolina,  was  appointed  presid- 
ing elder  on  a  district  embracing  the  following  charges, 
extending  from  Asheville  to  Cape  Hatteras,  and  from 
Wilmington  to  the  Virginia  line:  Morganton  and  Swan- 
nanoa,  Yadkin,  Salisbury,  Haw  River,  Guilford,  Frank- 


Growth  in  the  Central  Section.  215 

lin,  Caswell,  Tar  River,  Newbern,  Goshen,  Wilmington, 
Contentney,  Pamlico,  Roanoke,  and  Mattamuskeet  and 
Banks.  For  several  years  the  districts  have  been  growing 
larger.  On  this  district  there  was  a  membership  of  4,429 
whites  and  1,253  colored. 

While  the  presiding  elder  was  traversing  these  large 
districts,  Bishop  Asbury  was  making  a  visit  almost  an- 
nually from  Maine  to  Georgia.  In  1798  the  bishop  passed 
through  this  section,  coming  by  Edward  Taylor's  in  Gran- 
ville, at  Banks  Church,  meetinghouse  on  Hickory  Moun- 
tain, Pleasant  Garden,  where  he  lodged  with  Daniel  Sher- 
wood ;  thence  to  Bell's  on  Deep  River,  and  to  Wood's  on 
Uwharrie,  in  the  lower  part  of  Randolph,  and  down  Pee 
Dee  River  into  South  Carolina.  He  was  continually  go- 
ing, superintending  the  work,  preaching  and  holding  Con- 
ferences. The  Church  was  growing,  but  men  were  giving 
their  lives  upon  its  altars. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  CAPE  FEAR  SECTION,  1 784  TO  180O. 

Organization  Near  Wilmington.  Beverly  Allen — The  First  Meth- 
odist Preacher  in  this  Section.  Infidelity  Around  Wilmington. 
More  Progress  up  the  River.  Moore  County  Occupied.  Bladen 
Circuit  Formed  by  Daniel  Combs.  Jonathan  Bird.  Increase  in 
Membership.  John  Ahair.  Extent  of  Bladen  Circuit.  Samuel 
Edney — Bishop  Asbury  Visits  Edney.  Bladen  Circuit  Embraced 
Six  Counties.  Ljitmberton.  James  Jenkins.  Persecutions  and 
Foes  in  Wilmington.  Methodism  in  Wilmington.  Bennett  Ken- 
drick.     Growth  from  1784  to  1800. 

Before  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  Philip  Bruce 
and  James  O' Kelly  organized  a  small  society  somewhere 
near  Wilmington  on  the  Cape  Fear.  But  it  was  soon 
broken  up,  and  nothing  remained  except  three  good 
women.  In  1784  the  cultured  and  polished  Beverly  Al- 
len, with  James  Hinton,  was  sent  to  form  the  Wilming- 
ton Circuit.  A  gentleman  living  in  Duplin  county  in 
1810  gave  the  following  interesting  account  of  the  or- 
igin and  growth  of  Methodism  in  his  county :  "The 
first  Methodist  preacher  who  visited  this  county  was 
the  noted  Beverly  Allen,  who  came  immediately  after 
the  Revolutionary  War  (1784).  He  was  followed  by 
sundry  other  itinerant  and  circuit  Methodist  preach- 
ers. They  were  at  first  successful.  They  formed  sever- 
al societies  and  classes  in  the  county.  These,  however, 
were  not  all  permanent.  Many  who  had  joined  and 
professed  themselves  members  of  the  Methodist  Church 
began  to  think  the  rules  and  discipline  of  it  too  strict  to  be 
(216) 


The  Cape  Fear  Section.  217 

by  them  constantly  adhered  to.  Many  fell  off  and  re- 
sumed their  former  practices,  and  some  joined  other 
Churches." 

At  this  date  there  was  much  infidelity  around  Wilming- 
ton ;  the  Established  Church  of  England  had  all  the  pres- 
tige; and  when  these  two  facts  are  taken  into  considera- 
tion, it  will  be  seen  that  it  was  unfavorable  ground  for  a 
religion  that  is  spiritual  and  vital.  So  Methodism  at  the 
beginning  did  not  find  a  very  fertile  field  in  this  section ; 
and  for  this  reason  the  Wilmington  Circuit  was  discon- 
tinued in  1786,  and  the  Bladen  Circuit  was  substituted 
for  it  in  1787. 

John  Baldwin  followed  Mr.  Allen  in  1785.  He  was  a 
man  of  ability,  and  lived  to  fill  some  of  the  most  promi- 
nent places  in  the  Church.  But  with  the  efforts  of  such 
gifted  men  as  Allen  and  Baldwin  the  work  did  not  pros- 
per in  the  lower  Cape  Fear.  It  was  quite  different  further 
up  the  river.  The  preachers  at  an  early  date  came  down 
from  the  Xew  Hope  Circuit  and  planted  Methodism,  and 
soon  there  was  some  apprehension  that  it  would  become 
the  dominant  religion  in  a  section  of  country  strongly 
preoccupied  by  the  Presbyterians  and  Baptists.  A  writer 
giving  an  account  of  the  progress  of  the  Churches  in 
Moore  county  in  1810  says:  "There  are  at  present  but 
three  regular  Presbyterian  congregations  in  Moore  coun- 
ty. The  number  of  communicants  is  about  two  hun- 
dred. The  Baptists  have  a  number  of  societies  and 
churches,  but  are  likely  to  be  soon  outnumbered  by  the 
Methodists,  whose  popular  doctrines,  plans,  zeal,  and  dil- 
igence are  better  calculated  than  any  other  profession  to 


218  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

make  proselytes  of  the  common  people.  Within  the  orbit 
of  their  circuits  are  a  number  of  places  for  stated  preach- 
ing in  the  county.  We  have  also  a  few  Quakers — orderly, 
industrious,  and  worthy  members  of  the  community." 
Soon  after  this  prediction  this  whole  section  was  a  net- 
work of  appointments  embraced  in  well-arranged  circuits. 

In  1787  Bladen  Circuit  was  formed  by  Daniel  Combs, 
who  had  just  entered  the  itinerancy.  After  spending  one 
additional  year,  1788,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  another,  1789, 
in  New  Jersey,  he  retired  from  the  itinerant  ministry.  He 
was  followed  by  another  young  man,  Thomas  Hardy, 
who  only  spent  one  year  on  Bladen  (1788)  and  one  on 
Orange,  after  which  he  located. 

Jonathan  Bird,  who  was  on  Bladen  in  1790,  was  in 
point  of  ability  above  the  ordinary.  He  was  born  in 
Wilkes  county,  North  Carolina,  on  January  22,  1764. 
His  father,  Benjamin  Bird,  afterwards  removed  near  Old 
Fort,  where  he  settled.  Jonathan  Bird  was  admitted  on 
trial  into  the  itinerancy  in  1789,  and  appointed  to  Ro- 
anoke; in  1790,  to  Bladen;  1791,  to  Guilford;  1792,  to 
Caswell;  1793,  to  Anson;  1794,  to  Tar  River;  1795,  to 
Contentney ;  and  after  spending  two  years  in  Holston,  one 
as  a  presiding  elder,  he  located,  and  settled  in  McDowell 
county  near  his  father.  He  labored  very  acceptably  as  a 
local  preacher  in  that  section  of  the  state  until  1836,  when 
his  health  had  become  so  impaired  that  he  could  no  longer 
render  service  in  the  pulpit.  He  died  on  July  12th,  1848, 
at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-four.1 

'Rev.  John  W.  Bird,  late  of  the  Western  North  Carolina  Con- 
ference, is  the  grandson  of  Jonathan  Bird. 


The  Cape  Fear  Section.  219 

In  June,  1791,  John  Ahair  and  William  Bellamy  were 
on  the  Bladen  Circuit.  From  the  increase  in  membership, 
it  is  judged  that  they  did  a  good  work.  In  179 1  the  min- 
utes show  a  membership  of  287,  and  in  1792  the  number 
reported  is  467,  showing  a  net  gain  of  180.  John  Ahair 
was  a  native  of  North  Carolina.  He  was  admitted  into 
the  traveling  ministry  in  1791,  and  died  in  November, 
1794.  The  minutes  thus  speak  of  him:  "A  meek-spirited, 
holy,  zealous  man.  Weak  in  body,  strong  in  faith  and 
love,  three  years  wholly  given  up  to  the  work.  He  de- 
parted this  life  November,  1794; — sweetly  slept  in  Jesus 
after  a  short  and  happy  life,  aged  about  twenty-six  years." 

The  Bladen  Circuit  now  embraces  in  its  regular  ap- 
pointments the  entire  country  from  Long  Bay  in  South 
Carolina  to  the  Cape  Fear,  including  Conwayboro,  Lum- 
berton,  Elizabeth,  Smithville,  Old  Brunswick  Court- 
house, and  Wilmington.  Not  only  were  the  numbers  in- 
creasing from  year  to  year,  but,  unlike  many  other  places, 
families  of  respectability  and  influence  were  joining  the 
Methodist  Church. 

Samuel  Edney  served  the  Bladen  Circuit  in  1792.  He 
was  born  in  Pasquotank  county  in  1768;  was  led  to 
Christ  by  the  preaching  of  the  early  Methodists  in  that 
county,  and  was  licensed  to  preach  in  1790.  He  served 
the  following  charges:  1791,  New  Hope;  1792,  Bladen; 
1793,  Swannanoa;  1795,  Yadkin.  When  Mr.  Edney 
was  going  from  Bladen  to  the  Swannanoa  Circuit  in  1793, 
there  was  an  appointment  made  for  him  with  this  an- 
nouncement :  "Rev.  Samuel  Edney,  an  eminent  Metho- 
dist minister  from  the  north,  will  preach  here,"  etc.     A 


220  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

large  audience  gathered.  With  great  embarrassment  he 
tried  to  preach  while  trembling  from  head  to  foot.  But 
with  all  this  the  sermon  made  a  most  powerful  and  lasting 
impression  for  good.  He  settled  in  Henderson  county 
at  a  place  that  was  named  for  him,  Edneyville.  He  had 
regular  Sunday  appointments  for  preaching  as  long  as  he 
lived.  While  he  was  a  local  preacher,  he  was  at  one  time 
postmaster,  and  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  forty  years. 
He  was  thus  honored  and  respected  by  those  who  knew 
him.  It  is  said  that  in  old  age  he  would  often  make  the 
remark,  "I  have  served  God  over  fifty  years,  and  have 
never  seen  the  moment  when  I  regretted  it."  He  died 
September  17th,  1844.1 

Bishop  Asbury  made  a  visit  to  Samuel  Edney's  in  1806, 
and  made  the  following  note :  "I  preached  at  Samuel  Ed- 
ney's. Next  day  we  had  to  cope  with  Little  and  Great 
Hunger  Mountain.  Now,  I  know  what  Mills  Gap  is  be- 
tween Buncombe  and  Rutherford;  one  of  the  descents  is 
like  the  roof  of  a  house,  for  nearly  a  mile ;  I  rode,  I 
walked,  I  sweat,  I  trembled,  and  my  old  knees  failed ; 
here  are  gullies,  and  rocks,  and  precipices;  nevertheless, 
the  way  is  as  good  as  over  the  Table  Mountain,  bad  as  the 
best." 

Joshua  Cannon  was  on  Bladen  with  Mr.  Edney.  He 
began  to  travel  as  an  itinerant  in  1790,  and  located  in 
1797.  Sihon  Smith,  who  will  be  noticed  in  another  chap- 
ter, and  Benjamin  Denton  traveled  the  circuit  in  1793. 
This  was  Denton's  first  year  in  the  Conference,  and  after 
traveling  until  1797  he  located. 

Price's  "Holston  Methodism,"  page  229. 


JAMES    JENKINS. 


The  Cape  Fear  Section.  221 

For  the  next  two  years  such  men  as  William  Bellamy, 
Robert  Cox,  Rufus  Wiley,  and  John  Shepherd  served  the 
Bladen  Circuit.  In  1796  Anthony  Sale  served  all  this 
large  circuit  alone;  for  the  circuit  embraced  at  least  the 
following  counties :  New  Hanover,  Brunswick,  Columbus, 
Bladen,  Robeson,  and  Cumberland.  And  yet  Asbury 
says  in  his  Journal  during  this  year,  in  speaking  of  Wil- 
mington, "If  we  had  men  and  money,  it  would  be  well 
to  station  a  preacher  in  such  places  as  Wilmington."1 

Then,  there  were  other  towns  within  the  bounds  of  the 
circuit,  and  Asbury  says  in  1803  that  Lumberton  had  "a 
hundred  houses,  with  a  courthouse,  and  prison,  an  acad- 
emy, which  serves  as  a  church."  Fayette ville  was  here 
also,  and  it  was  no  doubt  much  larger.  And  yet  Mr.  Sale 
endeavored  to  occupy  this  great  field.  Anthony  Sale  was 
admitted  in  1793,  and  appointed  to  Camden.  He  served 
successively  Camden,  Amherst,  Franklin,  Bladen,  and 
Norfolk;  and  located  in  1799. 

In  1798  the  circuit  had  three  preachers,  James  Jenkins. 
M.  Wilson,  and  T.  Milligan.  Jenkins  was  a  man  of  great 
force,  and  made  perhaps  as  much  impression  upon  the 
people  of  the  South  Carolina  Conference  as  any  man  who 
has  ever  labored  in  that  section.  He  was  admitted  into 
the  Conference  in  1792.  After  a  long  and  faithful  serv- 
ice to  the  Church,  he  died  without  a  struggle  in  Camden, 
S.  C,  on  January  24th,  1847. 

In  reference  to  the  work  of  Mr.  Jenkins  and  his  col- 
leagues on  Bladen,  he  says  in  his  Memoir :  "This  year  we 


xAsbury's  Journal,  Vol.   TT.,  page  327. 


222  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

raised  four  new  societies  on  Cape  Fear  River,  and  consid- 
erably enlarged  the  circuit.  Before  leaving  I  took  occa- 
sion to  visit  Wilmington,  where  there  was  a  small  society 
of  colored  people  with  Meredith  (once  with  Hammett) 
at  their  head."1  They  built  a  house  of  worship,  and  Mer- 
edith was  acting  as  their  pastor ;  but  persecution  raged 
to  such  a  degree  that  the  house  was  soon  burned,  and 
Meredith  was  in  prison  for  several  days.  Soon  after  this 
the  town  itself  was  burned ;  and  Meredith,  undaunted,  col- 
lected his  people  together  in  the  market  place,  preached 
to  them,  among  other  things  telling  them,  "as  they  loved 
fire  so  well  God  had  given  them  enough  of  it,"  this  being 
said  in  allusion  to  the  burning  of  the  town.  James  Jen- 
kins in  his  autobiography,  published  in  1842,  says:  "I 
have  been  informed  by  a  lady,  acquainted  with  the  facts, 
that  there  have  been  five  fires  in  Wilmington  since  the 
burning  of  the  church,  and  that  one  of  the  leading  men 
in  this  affair  has  never  prospered  since."2 

During  the  year  they  had  great  seasons  of  refreshing 
at  various  places  on  the  circuit.  At  Conwayboro  they 
took  into  the  Church  all  the  young  folks  in  the  community 
except  two.  Jenkins  says,  "I  left  the  circuit,  feeling  much 
love  for  the  kind  people" ;  and  yet  he  tells  us  that  after 
wearing  out  the  coat  his  mother  gave  him,  he  went 
around  the  circuit  with  only  one  sleeve. 

Jesse  Lee,  in  his  History,  says :  "The  first  class  of  white 
people  that  was  formed  in  Wilmington  was  joined  to- 
gether on  the  24th  of  December,   1797.     There  were  at 

^'Memoir  of  James  Jenkins,"  1842,  page  86. 
2Jenkins,  page  86. 


The  Cape  Fear  Section.  '223 

that  time  a  few  pious  persons  among  the  white  people  in 
that  town,  and  one  man  that  joined  with  us  was  a  young 
preacher.     But  the  blacks  were  much  more  attentive  to 
religion  than  the  whites."1    In  1805  Eishop  Asbury  says : 
"Our  chapel   in   Wilmington   is   excellent,   sixty-six   by 
thirty-six  feet.     Sabbath  our  enlarged  house  was  filled 
with  both  colors."    On  his  visit  the  next  year:  "We  had 
1,500  hearers  in  our  chapel,  galleried  all  round.     I  gave 
orders  for  the  completion  of  the  tabernacle  and  dwelling 
house  according  to  the  charge  left  me  by  William  Mere- 
dith."    It  is  not  known  definitely  what  this  charge  was. 
Meredith  applied  in  1798  for  admission  into  the  South 
Carolina  Conference,  but  was  refused,  with  the  assurance 
that  if  he  would  come  to  the  Conference  the  next  year, 
show  good  behavior,  and  make  over  his  meetinghouse  in 
Wilmington  to   the   Methodist   Episcopal   Church,   they 
would  receive  him.    When  the  question  was  discussed  at 
the  Conference  in  1799,  they  refused  to  admit  him,  be- 
cause he  was  not  present  and  they  had  not  learned  whether 
he  had  made  over  the  property  or  not. 

Meredith  died  the  latter  part  of  1799,  leaving  his  dwell- 
ing and  chapel  to  the  Methodist  Church,  and  Mr.  Asbury 
refers  to  other  property  that  was  given  which  the  records 
examined  do  not  show.  The  ashes  of  William  Meredith 
slept  under  the  porch  of  the  old  Front  Street  Church  in 
Wilmington  until  it  was  burned,  and  were  then  removed 
and  buried  under  the  pulpit  of  the  new  Grace  Church. 

In  1800  Wilmington  was  made  a  station,  and  Nathan 

'Lee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  209. 


224  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Jarratt  was  appointed  as  its  preacher.  He  joined  the  Con- 
ference in  1799;  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina;  and 
served  the  Church  until  1803,  when  he  died.  The  min- 
utes say,  "A  man  of  great  zeal,  pleasing  address,  and 
greatly  beloved."  Bladen  Circuit  was  served  this  year  by 
Jeremiah  Norman  and  John  Campbell.  This  was  Camp- 
bell's first  year  in  the  itinerancy.  He  traveled  until  1809, 
and  located. 

"In  1801  and  1802  that  prince  of  Methodist  preachers, 
Bennett  Kendrick,  was  in  Wilmington."  In  1880  Dr.  A. 
M.  Chreitzberg,  then  editing  the  Conference  minutes, 
wrote  to  Dr.  Lovick  Pierce,  of  Georgia,  for  a  sketch  of 
Mr.  Kendrick,  from  which  he  gathered  that  Kendrick 
"was  attractive  in  address,  fine  in  style,  liberal  in  thought, 
easy  in  delivery;  indeed,  there  seemed  to  be  an  har- 
monious sympathy  between  his  mind  and  his  nerves  in 
their  influence  on  his  muscles.  His  whole  body  seemed  to 
preach,  and  every  motion  was  a  grace.  He  was  then  the 
brightest  star  in  our  Conference  constellation."  While 
he  was  young  in  years,  he  filled  such  important  charges  as 
Wilmington,  Charleston,  and  Columbia.  He  was  a  native 
of  Mecklenburg  county,  Virginia,  admitted  on  trial  in 
1799,  and  went  to  his  reward  on  April  5th,  1807.  Hun- 
dreds on  the  appointments  which  he  served  could  testify 
to  his  worth  and  superior  ability  in  the  pulpit. 

In  1784  there  were  only  80  members  reported  from  the 
Cape  Fear  section.  In  1800  we  find  778  whites  and  345 
colored  members  reported.  At  that  time  there  were  only 
48  white  members  in  Wilmington,  while  there  were  231 
colored.    On  the  Bladen  Circuit  the  proportions  were  re- 


The  Cape  Fear  Section.  225 

versed,  for  there  were  720  whites  and  only  114  colored. 
At  first  Methodism  was  especially  adapted  to  the  country 
people,  and  the  earnestness  shown  by  its  pioneers  attracted 
the  colored  people.  More  of  them  would  no  doubt  have 
joined  on  the  Bladen  Circuit  if  they  had  been  permitted  to 
attend  the  meetings.  While  the  Methodist  preacher  was 
greatly  interested  in  the  souls  of  the  black  people,  the 
owners  of  slaves  did  not  understand  it,  and  were  often 
filled  with  suspicion.  They  kept  their  slaves  at  home  for 
fear  they  would  hear  doctrines  that  were  not  according 
to  the  spirit  of  slavery.  This  feeling  not  only  kept  the 
slaves  away,  but  prejudiced  their  masters  against  Meth- 
odism, and  thus  retarded  its  progress. 
*5 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

SLAVERY    IN    RELATION    TO    METHODISM    IN    THE    EIGHT- 
EENTH CENTURY. 

Colonies  Protested  Against  Slavery — Not  Profitable  at  the  North — 
From  the  First  Methodism  Opposed  Slavery — Wesley's  Views — 
Freeborn  Garrettson — Journal — Asbury's  Position  on  the  Subject 
— His  Journal  at  Different  Periods — Dr.  Coke  Opposes  Slavery — 
Violence  Threatened  in  Virginia — Debate  of  Coke  and  Lee  at 
Green  Hill's — Time  Proved  Lee's  Position  Wise — Progress  of 
Methodism  Checked — Suspicion  of  Slave  Owners — Reuben  Ellis 
Sought  for  Chaplain — Change  in  Wilmington — Wesley  First  to 
Consider  Their  Moral  Condition — Many  Christianized — Metho- 
dism Adapted  to  the  Negro — Their  Songs.  Meredith  Plants 
Methodism  in  Wilmington.  Henry  Evans  in  Fayetteville.  Camp 
Meeting  in  Cape  Fear  Section. 

The  "Negro  Problem"  did  not  originate  in  the  dawn  of 
the  twentieth  century,  but  is  a  question  that  has  agitated 
the  minds  of  some  in  Church  and  State  ever  since  the 
introduction  of  slavery  into  this  country.  Soon  after 
the  first  settlements  of  the  whites  upon  the  American 
shores,  the  love  of  gain  showed  itself  in  the  introduction 
of  African  slavery.  The  early  colonies  protested  against 
the  traffic,  but  it  was  encouraged  by  England  for  the  sake 
of  commerce  and  wealth.  Also  New  England  encouraged 
it  and  participated  in  the  traffic  until  they  saw  that  the 
slave  was  unprofitable  at  the  north.  After  the  union  of 
the  states,  the  people  saw  they  had  a  great  evil  upon  their 
hands,  and  they  began  to  discuss  the  question  and  to  try 
to  solve  the  problem.  For  over  half  a  century  the  Meth- 
odist Church  discussed  it  at  almost  every  Conference. 

(226) 


FREEBORN    GARRETTSON. 


Slavery  in  Relation  to  Methodism.  227 

Methodism  from  the  beginning  has  been  pronounced 
upon  the  subject  of  slavery,  and  no  doubt  it  had  as  much 
to  do  in  abolishing  the  evil  as  any  other  organization. 
John  "Wesley  gave  no  uncertain  sound  concerning  his 
views  on  the  subject,  when  he  said :  "I  strike  at  the  root  of 
this  complicated  villainy.  I  absolutely  deny  all  slavehold- 
ing  to  be  consistent  with  any  degree  of  natural  justice. 
Much  less  is  it  possible  that  any  child  of  man  should  ever 
be  born  a  slave.  Liberty  is  the  right  of  every  human  crea- 
ture as  soon  as  he  breathes  the  vital  air,  and  no  human  law 
can  deprive  him  of  that  right."  Thus  we  see  how  the 
founder  of  Methodism  regarded  slaveholding.  Many  of 
the  early  leaders  of  Methodism  were  equally  as  pro- 
nounced as  Mr.  Wesley. 

Freeborn  Garrettson,  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  the 
companion  of  Asbury,  referring  to  his  experience  on  the 
day  of  his  conversion  in  1775,  says :  "This  thought  power- 
fully struck  my  mind,  Tt  is  not  right  for  you  to  keep  your 
fellow-creatures  in  bondage.  You  must  let  the  oppressed 
go  free.'  "  Hitherto  he  had  not  felt  that  slaveholding  was 
wrong,  but  now  he  had  a  conscience  upon  the  subject,  and 
at  once  set  them  free.  Garrettson,  when  he  was  sent  to 
North  Carolina  in  1777,  made  the  following  entry  in  his 
Journal :  "In  September  I  went  to  North  Carolina,  to 
travel  Roanoke  Circuit,  and  was  sweetly  drawn  out  in 
the  glorious  work,  though  my  exercises  were  very  great, 
particularly  respecting  slavery.  Many  times  did  my  heart 
ache  on  account  of  the  slaves  in  this  part  of  the  country, 
and  many  tears  did  I  shed,  both  in  Virginia  and  Carolina, 
while  exhibiting  a  crucified  Jesus  to  their  view ;  and  I  bless 


228  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

God  that  my  labors  were  not  in  vain  among  them.  I  en- 
deavored frequently  to  inculcate  the  doctrine  of  freedom 
in  a  private  way,  and  this  procured  me  the  ill  will  of  some 
who  were  in  that  unmerciful  practice.  I  would  often  set 
apart  times  to  preach  to  the  blacks  and  adapt  my  discourse 
to  them  alone ;  and  precious  moments  have  I  had.  While 
many  of  their  sable  faces  were  bedewed  with  tears,  their 
withered  hands  of  faith  were  stretched  out,  and  their 
precious  souls  made  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  The 
suffering  of  these  poor  outcasts  of  men,  through  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  drove  them  near  the  Lord,  and  many  of  them 
were  truly  happy."1 

If  we  turn  to  Asbury's  Journal,  we  will  see  his  manner 
of  antagonizing  slavery  at  such  periods  as  may  be  indi- 
cated by  the  dates  affixed  to  each  paragraph  following: 
( 1780)  "Spoke  to  some  select  friends  about  slave-keeping, 
but  they  could  not  bear  it.  This  I  know :  God  will  plead 
the  cause  of  the  oppressed,  though  it  gives  offense  to  say 
so  here.  O  Lord,  banish  the  infernal  spirit  of  slavery 
from  thy  dear  Zion !  Lord,  help  thy  people.  The  Lord 
will  certainly  hear  the  cries  of  the  oppressed,  naked,  starv- 
ing creatures."  (1783)  "We  all  agreed  at  the  Virginia 
Conference  in  the  spirit  of  African  liberty,  and  strong 
testimonies  were  borne  in  its  favor  at  our  love  feast.  I 
pity  the  poor  slaves.  Oh,  that  God  would  look  down  in 
mercy  and  take  their  cause  in  hand!"  (1785)  "At  the 
Conference  in  Virginia  I  found  the  minds  of  the  people 
greatly  agitated  with  our  rules  against  slavery,  and  a 

l"Life  of  Freeborn   Garrettson,"   page  60. 


Slavery  in  Relation  to  Methodism.  229 

proposed  petition  to  the  General  Assembly  for  the  emanci- 
pation of  the  blacks.  We  waited  on  General  Washington, 
who  received  us  politely,  and  gave  us  his  opinion  against 
slavery."  (1798)  "My  mind  is  much  pained.  I  am 
brought  to  conclude  that  slavery  will  exist  in  Virginia  for 
ages.  There  is  not  a  sufficient  sense  of  religion  nor  liberty 
to  destroy  it." 

Dr.  Coke,  who  was  Bishop  Asbury's  associate,  being  set 
apart  for  the  office  of  superintendent,  in  1784,  was  hostile 
to  slavery  everywhere  he  went,  in  private  and  in  public. 
When  he  was  in  Virginia  in  April,  1785,  he  preached  on 
the  evils  of  slavery,  showing  its  "injustice  in  terms  that 
were  not  calculated  to  flatter  his  auditors."  Several  left 
the  house  and  threatened  violence  to  the  preacher.  They 
were  encouraged  by  a  fashionable  lady  who  offered  fifty 
pounds  if  they  would  give  the  preacher  a  hundred  lashes. 
He  was  at  once  surrounded  by  the  mob,  who  seemed  de- 
termined on  violence,  and  Dr.  Coke's  life  would  have  been 
in  danger  had  it  not  been  for  the  presence  of  a  magistrate 
who  had  one  of  the  leaders  arrested.  After  giving  vent 
to  their  rage  in  many  words,  the  object  of  their  vengeance 
escaped  without  further  molestation.  As  a  result  of  this 
service,  however,  several  emancipated  their  slaves."1 

On  the  14th  of  April  Dr.  Coke  reached  North  Carolina, 
when  he  makes  this  entry  in  his  Journal:  "I  have  now 
done  with  my  testimony  against  slavery  for  a  time,  being 
in  North  Carolina  again."2  But  six  days  after  this  we 
find  him  in  Conference  at  Green  Hill's,  preparing  "a  peti- 

1Arminian  Magazine,  1789,  page  345. 

"'Life  of  Dr.  Coke,"  by  Samuel  Drew,  1837,  page  138. 


230  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

tion  to  the  legislature  praying  them  to  pass  an  act"  that 
in  a  land  which  boasted  of  its  independence  slaveholders 
should  at  least  be  allowed  to  emancipate  their  slaves.  At 
this  time  there  was  a  law  in  North  Carolina  prohibiting 
emancipation  of  slaves  except  for  meritorious  conduct  on 
the  part  of  the  slave.  The  Conference  signed  the  petition. 
They  were  very  sanguine  of  success  for  a  time,  as  the 
governor  had  expressed  to  Bishop  Asbury  his  approba- 
tion of  the  measure.  While  the  Conference  approved  the 
measure,  yet  quite  a  heated  debate  followed  on  the  sub- 
ject. Dr.  Coke  was  very  earnest  in  his  denunciation  of 
the  evils  of  slavery.  Jesse  Lee,  who  was  a  young  man, 
though  not  afraid  to  speak  of  his  convictions,  even  if  they 
were  contrary  to  those  of  the  learned  Dr.  Coke,  thought 
it  was  not  wise  for  the  preachers  to  press  the  subject  of 
emancipation  upon  the  people,  as  it  would  bring  such  gen- 
eral opposition  as  to  prejudice  the  interest  of  the  slave  and 
preclude  future  attempts  at  emancipation;  that  the  effect 
of  such  agitation  would  only  create  strife,  and  greatly 
hinder  the  spiritual  interest  of  the  Church;  that  it  would 
separate  the  people  from  their  pastors,  and  do  much  harm 
in  many  ways.  This  was  a  bold  and  manly  speech ;  and 
from  the  way  it  stirred  Dr.  Coke,  it  must  have  made  a 
profound  impression.  Dr.  Coke  drew  the  conclusion  from 
the  remarks,  or  the  manner  of  expressing  them,  that  Mr. 
Lee  was  opposed  to  the  rules  of  the  Conference,  and  was 
trying  to  justify  slavery,  so  he  objected  to  the  passage  of 
Mr.  Lee's  character.  To  which  Lee  at  once  replied,  and 
being  rudely  interrupted  as  he  thought,  by  Dr.  Coke,  his 
blood  grew  warm,  and  words  were  uttered  by  both  which 


Slavery  in  Relation  to  Methodism.  231 

no  doubt  they  afterwards  regretted.  But  Dr.  Coke  soon 
realized  that  he  had  made  a  mistake  in  his  accusation  and 
interruption,  for  which  he  apologized,  and  friendly  feel- 
ings were  soon  restored. 

Time  soon  proved  that  Mr.  Lee's  position  was  wise,  as 
the  following  from  the  minutes  of  the  Conference  which 
met  in  Baltimore  six  months  later  will  show :  "The  minis- 
ters were  authorized  "to  suspend  the  execution  of  the 
minute  on  slavery  till  the  deliberation  of  a  future  Con- 
ference; and  that  an  equal  space  of  time  be  allowed  all 
our  members  for  consideration,  when  the  minute  shall  be 
put  in  force."  This  did  not  mean  that  they  had  changed 
their  position  on  the  subject,  for  they  affixed  another  min- 
ute to  show  their  continued  hostility  to  slavery,  and  that 
they  were  unalterably  determined  to  stand  firm  against 
the  practice:  "We  do  hold  in  the  deepest  abhorrence  the 

v 

practice  of  slavery,  and  shall  not  cease  to  seek  its  de- 
struction by  all  wise  and  prudent  measures."  This  was 
just  what  Jesse  Lee  contended  for  at  the  Conference  at 
Green  Hill's.  He  believed  in  exercising  wisdom  and  pru- 
dence; a  course  which  has  not  always  been  practiced  by 
those  who  would  exterminate  this  evil. 

The  progress  of  Methodism  would  have  been  much 
more  rapid  had  these  men  of  God  spent  more  of  their 
zeal  to  evangelize,  and  put  forth  less  eifort  to  set  the 
slaves  free.  If  it  had  not  been  for  extremists  on  the 
subject,  our  progress  would  not  only  have  been  greater 
among  the  whites,  but  a  greater  number  among  the 
blacks  would  have  been  evangelized.  The  Methodist 
preachers  were  so  pronounced  against  slavery  that  the 


232  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

large  slaveholders  looked  upon  them  with  suspicion,  and 
especially  was  this  true  in  the  Cape  Fear  section.  They 
were  looked  upon  as  disorganizes  and  disturbers  of  the 
peace,  hence  some  slaveholders  were  naturally  afraid  to 
trust  their  slaves  with  such  men.  The  negro  was  valuable 
property,  bringing  from  $300  to  $1,800;  so  when  it  was 
known  that  the  preachers  were  trying  to  set  them  free,  the 
owners  at  once  became  antagonistic.  This  often  impeded 
the  preachers'  usefulness.  Of  course  this  suspicion  was 
not  well  founded.  It  was  not  the  desire  of  any  preacher 
to  injure  the  slaveholders.  No  doubt  he  intended  good 
for  both  the  owner  and  the  slave;  but  his  zeal  was  not 
always  according  to  knowledge.  As  soon  as  the  people 
understood  the  motive  of  the  preacher,  they  were  satisfied. 
An  instance  given  by  Bishop  Capers  confirms  this  state- 
ment. Reuben  Ellis  was  one  of  the  leading  preachers  in 
early  Methodism.  While  traveling  a  district  in  South 
Carolina,  he  called  upon  Elias  Ball,  who  was  a  wealthy 
and  influential  citizen  of  that  state ;  and  the  conversation 
turned  upon  the  good  that  might  result  from  preaching  to 
the  negroes.  It  was  proposed  to  make  an  experiment  that 
evening  by  collecting  them  in  the  spacious  piazza  attached 
to  Mr.  Ball's  mansion,  for  Mr.  Ellis  to  preach  to  them. 
He  preached  accordingly ;  and  Mr.  Ball  was  so  captivated 
with  it  as  to  urge  for  another  evening's  service.  And 
before  Mr.  Ellis  left,  he  offered  him  a  salary  of  six  hun- 
dred dollars  and  his  board  to  remain  permanently  as  his 
chaplain  and  preach  to  his  negroes  every  Sabbath  day.1 

^'Autobiography  of  Bishop  Capers,"  page  138. 


Slavery  in  Relation  to  Methodism.  233 

When  Bishop  Asbury  visited  Wilmington  in  1801,  he 
says:  "The  minds  of  the  people  are  strangely  changed; 
and  the  indignation  excited  against  us  is  past ;  the  people 
see  and  confess  that  the  slaves  are  made  better  by  religion, 
and  wonder  to  hear  the  poor  Africans  pray  and  exhort." 
It  was  the  custom  of  many  of  our  preachers  to  hold  a  serv- 
ice for  the  colored  people  directly  after  the  morning  serv- 
ice on  Sunday,  unless  the  gallery  was  sufficient  to  hold 
them,  and  in  that  case  they  worshiped  with  the  whites. 
It  will  be  observed  in  the  study  of  Methodist  history,  and 
it  is  just  to  all  concerned  to  state  it  here,  that  frequently  it 
has  been  the  case  that  those  who  made  the  loudest  cry 
against  the  evils  of  slavery  have  done  the  least  to  brighten 
the  pathway  of  this  unfortunate  race.  As  we  have  seen, 
Methodism  has  been  from  the  first  pronounced  against 
slavery,  and  they  had  a  right  so  to  express  themselves  on 
the  subject.  In  fact,  it  was  a  bold  thing  for  a  weak 
Church  to  take  such  a  stand  at  that  day.  But  there  were 
many  good  people  in  the  South  who  felt  that  the  negro 
needed  something  else  as  much  as  he  did  his  freedom. 
The  problem  of  his  enlightenment  and  evangelization  was 
to  be  considered  and  solved.  Asbury  seemed  to  think  be- 
fore his  death  they  could  have  done  more  for  the  negro  if 
they  had  made  no  attempt  at  his  emancipation,  but  had  put 
all  their  efforts  toward  instructing  him  and  bettering  his 
condition.  If  they  had  confined  themselves  to  this  work, 
there  would  have  been  no  friction  between  the  slave  owner 
and  the  Methodists. 

So  far  as  we  know,  John  Wesley  was  the  first  to  give 
special  attention  to  the  moral  and  religious  training  of  the 


234  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

negro  in  America.  And  when  Methodism  was  introduced 
in  the  South,  they  at  once  began  to  try  to  uplift  and  evan- 
gelize them.  During  the  period  of  which  we  write  Meth- 
odism in  North  Carolina  realized  an  obligation  to  give 
these  heathen  the  gospel,  as  much  as  to  carry  it  to  some 
foreign  shore.  And  while  some  may  look  back  to  slavery 
as  a  great  evil,  yet  during  the  time  of  African  slavery  in 
the  United  States  there  were  700,000  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity. In  the  year  1795  in  North  Carolina  there  were 
in  the  Methodist  Church  8,414  white  members,  and  1,719 
colored;  and  in  1800  the  white  members  had  decreased  to 
6,363,  while  the  colored  members  had  increased  to  2,108. 
These  figures  show  that  Methodism  was  caring  for  the 
negro. 

Methodism  seems  to  have  had  a  peculiar  attraction  for 
the  negro.  This  can  be  accounted  for,  not  only  because 
they  saw  our  interest  for  them,  but  because  our  religion 
was  peculiarly  adapted  to  them.  It  was  a  religion  for  the 
people,  the  common  people,  as  well  as  for  the  more  intelli- 
gent ;  a  religion  that  appealed  to  the  emotions  as  well  as  to 
the  intellect.  In  a  word,  it  was  a  religion  of  high  spiritual 
life.  The  externality  of  religion  was  only  a  small  part  of 
Methodism  at  the  beginning.  A  person  in  the  early  days 
of  Methodism  being  recognized  as  a  Methodist,  without 
an  experience,  would  have  considered  himself  out  of  place. 
It  was  the  emotional  that  caught  the  negro.  Their  songs 
and  shouts  thrilled  his  soul  and  set  him  on  fire  with  en- 
thusiasm, as  did  the  songs  sometimes  from  the  gallery 
filled  with  the  negroes  thrill  the  whites  with  their  sweet 
melodies,  as  they  were  caught  up  on  the  wings  of  some 


Slavery  in  Relation  to  Methodism.  235 

old-time  melody  and  carried  for  the  time  being  to  the  land 
of  rest  where  storm  and  trouble  never  come. 

William  Meredith,  who  was  a  very  popular  preacher 
among  the  colored  people,  came  to  Wilmington  about  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  bought  a  lot  in  the  suburbs 
and  erected  a  church.  While  his  venture  was  independent 
of  the  regular  Church,  he  was  on  friendly  terms  with  the 
regular  preachers,  and  when  he  died  he  left  his  church 
and  all  of  his  property  to  the  Methodist  Church.  His 
preaching  was  faithful  and  earnest,  and  was  listened  to  by 
both  white  and  black.  Bishop  Asbury  visited  this  church 
and  preached  here  in  1807.  He  speaks  of  hearing  John 
Qiarles^a -colored  preacher,  preach  on  "Now,  no  more 
condemnation,"  at  sunrise.  And  after  spending  the  Sab- 
bath with  this  congregation,  he  says  it  was  a  "high  day  on 
Mount  Zion."  This  church  and  the  Episcopal  church 
were  the  only  churches  here  for  a  long  time.  Of  course 
the  Episcopal  church  had  the  advantage,  as  the  wealthy 
people  looked  down  upon  the  Methodist  church  as  the 
"negro  church." 

The  planting  of  Methodism  in  Fayetteville  was  by  a 
negro  preacher,  and  under  peculiar  circumstances.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  there  was  no  church 
building  in  the  town.  The  Presbyterians  had  an  organ- 
ization, but  no  church  edifice.  "One  day  there  came  to  the 
place  Henry  Evans,  a  full-blooded  negro  shoemaker,  who 
was  going  from  Stokes  county,  North  Carolina,  to 
Charlestown,  South  Carolina,  where  he  proposed  to  locate. 
He  is  thought  to  have  been  born  free,  and  it  is  known  that 
he  was  converted  at  an  early  age.    He  removed  first  from 


236  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Virginia  to  the  neighborhood  of  Doub's  Chapel,  in  what 
was  then  Stokes,  but  is  now  Forsythe,  county.  Here  he 
stayed  one  year,  and  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the 
Methodists."1  When  Evans  saw  the  wickedness  which 
abounded  in  Fayetteville,  he  decided  to  settle  and  preach 
to  the  negroes.  His  preaching  was  with  great  power. 
Bishop  Capers  says  he  was  the  "best  preacher  of  his  time 
in  that  quarter."  He  had  not  been  preaching  long  before 
the  "town  council"  interfered,  and  nothing  that  he  could 
do  would  induce  them  to  let  him  preach.  He  soon  with- 
drew to  the  woods,  out  of  town,  where  he  held  his  meet- 
ings, "changing  his  appointment  from  place  to  place." 

He  was  now  out  of  the  reach  of  the  "council,"  so  the 
mob  took  it  up,  and  pursued  him  from  time  to  time.  It 
was  hard  for  him  to  get  an  opportunity  to  explain  himself 
and  show  the  purity  of  his  purpose.  But  he  soon  began  to 
produce  fruit  which  showed  for  itself.  "One  after  an- 
other began  to  suspect  their  servants  of  attending  his 
preaching,  not  because  they  were  made  worse,  but  won- 
derfully better.  The  effect  on  the  public  morals  of  the 
negroes,  too,  began  to  be  seen,  particularly  as  regarded 
their  habits  on  Sunday,  and  drunkenness.2  Public  opinion 
was  soon  changed  and  Evans  was  allowed  to  preach  in 
town,  and  it  was  not  long  before  "distinguished  visitors 
hardly  felt  that  they  might  pass  a  Sunday  in  Fayetteville 
without  hearing  him  preach."  When  the  owners  of  these 
slaves  saw  what  his  preaching  had  done  for  them,  they, 
too,  began  to  attend  his  services,  and  the  famous  negro 

*Dr.  J.  S.  Bassett,  in  "Historical  Papers,"  Series  IV.,  1900,  page  8. 
2"Life  of  Capers,"  page  126. 


Slavery  in  Relation  to  Methodism.  237 

preacher  had  some  of  the  leading  white  people  of  the  town 
to  hear  him.  Among  his  first  fruits  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lumsden,  Mrs.  Bowen,  Mrs.  Malsby,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Blake.  A  meetinghouse  was  erected,  fifty  feet  long  by 
thirty  feet  wide.  The  whites  soon  crowded  out  the  blacks, 
and  Evans  asked  the  preacher  on  the  Bladen  Circuit  to 
take  this  meetinghouse  into  the  circuit. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  Henry  Evans  was  a 
remarkable  man.  His  deportment  was  humble  and  defer- 
ential toward  the  whites,  "never  speaking  to  a  white  man 
but  with  his  hat  under  his  arm,  and  never  allowing  himself 
to  be  seated  in  their  houses."  "The  whites  are  kind  to 
me,  and  come  to  hear  me  preach,"  he  would  say,  "but  I 
belong  to  my  own  sort,  and  must  not  spoil  them."  Per- 
haps his  greatness  is  seen  in  his  last  speech  as  much  as  in 
any  other  one  act  of  his  life.  It  was  customary  for  the 
white  preacher  to  preach  for  the  blacks  directly  after  the 
morning  service  for  the  white  people.  "On  Sunday  be- 
fore Evans  died,  as  this  meeting  was  being  held,  the  door 
of  the  little  rear  room  opened  and  the  old  man  tottered  in. 
Leaning  on  the  altar  rail,  he  said  very  simply:  T  have 
come  to  say  my  last  word  to  you.  It  is  this:  None  but 
Christ.  Three  times  I  have  had  my  life  in  jeopardy  for 
preaching  the  gospel  to  you,  and  if  in  my  last  hour  I  could 
trust  to  that,  or  to  anything  else  but  Christ  crucified,  for 
my  salvation,  all  should  be  lost  and  my  soul  perish  for- 
ever." Bishop  Capers  said  these  words  were  worthy  not 
only  of  Evans,  but  of  St.  Paul. 

The  negroes  often  exhibited  a  strong  faith,  and  were 
very  fervent  and  earnest  in  prayer.     James  Jenkins,  in 


238  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

1802,  tells  how  difficulties  were  overcome  by  the  prayers 
of  an  old  colored  man.  Jenkins  was  conducting  a  camp 
meeting  near  Wilmington,  which  began  on  Friday  night, 
but  the  tents  were  not  such  as  to  protect  them  from  the 
rain  that  was  constantly  falling.  The  people  were  dis- 
couraged. But  Sunday  morning  about  sunrise  a  negro 
man,  belonging  to  brother  Bell,  "commenced  praying  near 
one  of  the  tents,"  says  Jenkins,  and  he  and  others  soon 
joined  him — his  master  among  the  rest;  and  the  people 
having  collected  from  every  quarter,  the  work  broke  out 
and  spread  through  all  the  community.  Many  souls  were 
saved.  This  old  colored  man  was  the  instrument  selected 
by  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  to  set  this  whole  com- 
munity on  fire. 

At  another  time  James  Jenkins,  who  was  the  presiding 
elder  on  the  district,  speaks  of  another  colored  man  upon 
whom  he  makes  quite  a  different  comment.  In  a  quar- 
terly meeting  held  in  an  old  house  near  Rockingham,  he 
says,  "we  had  some  difficulties  with  an  influential  colored 
man,  who  desired  further  promotion  in  the  Church.  He 
became  quite  impatient  and  troublesome.  I  have  generally 
found  these  people  cannot  bear  promotion."1  It  will  be  a 
revelation  to  some  people  to  know  that  the  negro  was  ever 
permitted  to  hold  any  office  in  the  Church  so  far  south. 
But  it  seems  he  not  only  held  an  office,  but  was  demand- 
ing a  higher  one. 

Rev.  Samuel  McCorkle,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  giving 
an  account  of  a  great  camp  meeting,  said  by  some  to  be 

"'Life  of  James  Jenkins,"  page  no. 


Slavery  in  Relation  to  Methodism.  239 

the  first  held  in  North  Carolina,  which  began  on  January 
1st,1  1802,  in  Randolph  county,  says  that  after  the  second 
sermon  was  delivered  and  the  congregation  dismissed,  the 
people  paused  and  would  not  go  to  their  homes  or  en- 
campments. Some  one  rose  and  gave  a  word  of  parting 
exhortation,  when,  as  if  by  an  electric  shock,  a  large  num- 
ber in  every  direction, — men,  women,  children,  white  and 
black, — fell  and  cried  for  mercy.  The  first  thing,  he  says 
that  attracted  his  attention  was  a  poor  black  man  with  his 
hands  raised  over  the  heads  of  the  crowd  and  shouting, 
"Glory,  glory  to  God  on  high !"  As  he  was  going  toward 
the  tent  he  saw  another  black  man  prostrate  on  the  ground, 
and  near  by  was  an  old  colored  woman  grasping  her  mis- 
tress's hand  and  crying,  "O  mistress !  you  prayed  for  me 
when  I  wanted  a  heart  to  pray  for  myself.  Now,  thank 
God,  he  has  given  me  a  heart  to  pray  for  you,  and  every- 
body else." 

A  great  deal  has  been  said  and  written  about  the  cruelty 
of  masters  to  their  slaves.  This  has,  no  doubt,  been  mag- 
nified. Dr.  Alexander,  in  his  "History  of  Mecklenburg 
County,"  says :  "There  were  not  a  half  dozen  cruel  masters 
in  Mecklenburg  county.  A  man  that  was  cruel  to  his 
slaves  was  tabooed  by  the  white  people,  and  would  not  be 
received  into  polite  society."  To  say  that  there  was  no 
cruelty  or  tyranny  in  administering  discipline  would  be 
saying  too  much.  Where  there  were  large  numbers  on  a 
plantation  under  an  overseer,  who  was  nothing  but  a  hire- 
ling, it  was  often  the  case  that  the  overseer  was  too  op- 


'According  to  Foote's  "Sketches." 


240  Methodism  in  North  Carolina 

pressive  and  cruel ;  but  in  such  a  case  the  slave  had  access 
to  his  master  who,  aside  from  considerations  of  humanity, 
had  a  financial  interest  to  be  guarded,  and  from  an  eco- 
nomical standpoint  it  was  important  that  the  poor  creature 
should  be  properly  cared  for.  But  while  many  were 
caused  to  labor  and  carry  heavy  burdens,  and  in  some  in- 
stances unnecessarily  punished,  yet  upon  the  whole  we 
doubt  not  that  in  many  respects  the  negroes  were  in  a  bet- 
ter condition  then  than  now.  Some  have  improved  their 
opportunities,  while  many  have  made  their  conditions 
worse.  For  as  a  rule  "the  slave  was  as  warmly  clothed,  as 
securely  sheltered,  and  as  bountifully  fed  as  his  master." 
The  South  has  often  been  misrepresented,  and  has  never 
been  duly  credited  for  what  she  has  done  for  the  negro 
since  he  first  came  to  this  clime.  Even  in  the  days  of 
slavery  the  South  did  much  for  him,  without  permitting 
him  to  enjoy  anything  like  social  equality.  Peep  into  that 
old  Methodist  home  of  more  than  a  century  ago,  and  see 
the  negroes  morning  and  evening  bringing  in  their  chairs 
and  forming  a  circle  around  the  family  altar,  while  the 
father  and  master  read  from  the  old  family  Bible.  And 
when  the  morning  and  evening  hymn  was  sung,  their 
musical  voices  could  be  heard  in  the  great  volume  of 
praise  that  went  up  to  the  throne  of  grace.  They  wor- 
shiped in  the  same  church,  heard  the  same  gospel,  and 
communed  at  the  same  altar. 

So  when  we  consider  their  condition  from  the  stand- 
point of  religion  and  health,  we  are  not  sure  that  they  were 
benefited  by  freedom.  In  the  time  of  slavery  their  fare 
was  plain,  but  abundant.    And  it  is  a  characteristic  of  the 


Slavery  in  Relation  to  Methodism.  241 

negro  to  be  happy,  when  well,  fed  and  clothed,  and  not  op- 
pressed with  overwork.  So  that  it  may  be  true,  as  Dr. 
Alexander  in  his  "History  of  Mecklenburg  County"  says, 
that  they  had  more  real  enjoyment  prior  to  1865  than  they 
have  ever  had  since.  Yet  their  condition  is  not  ideal  now, 
and  the  negro  problem  is  still  being  discussed,  and  one 
remedy  after  another  is  being  presented.  The  question  of 
slavery  divided  the  Methodist  Church  in  1844,  and  later 
divided  the  Union,  and  caused  some  of  the  best  blood  of 
the  North  and  South  to  be  shed.  And  yet  the  negroes 
are  with  us,  their  condition  not  ideal,  and  many  ques- 
tions concerning  them  unsettled. 
16 


CHAPTER  XV. 

DEVELOPMENT  IN  THE  YADKIN  VALLEY,  1784  TO  1805. 

Boundary  Line  of  Salisbury  Circuit.  Location  of  Early  Churches. 
John  Hancock.  Methodism  Introduced  into  Salisbury.  Mrs. 
Fishburn.  Beverly  Allen's  First  Sermon  in  Salisbury.  James 
Foster  Established  a  Preaching  Place  at  Douthet's.  Jesse  Lee  in 
Salisbury — His  Journal — Lee's  Colleague,  Isaac  Smith.  Zion 
Church.  Hope  Hull.  Henry  Bingham.  Richard  Ivey.  Reuben 
Ellis.  R.  J.  Miller.  Barnabas  McHenry.  Mark  Moore.  Some 
Statistics.  John  Tunnell.  Bishop  Asbury  in  This  Section.  Josiah 
Askew.  John  Fore.  William  Spencer.  John  N.  Jones  on  the 
Salisbury  Circuit.  Congress  of  Methodism.  Thomas  Wilkerson. 
James  Rogers.  Claywell's  Becomes  a  Preaching  Place.  Snow 
Creek.  James  Patterson — His  Diary  on  Salisbury  Circuit.  Death 
and  Burial  of  John  Lee. 

In  another  chapter  we  learned  that  the  Yadkin  Circuit 
was  formed  in  1780  from  the  Pittsylvania  Circuit,  with 
twenty-one  members,  and  extended  from  beyond  the  Blue 
Ridge  to  the  South  Carolina  line.  Andrew  Yeargan  was 
its  first  pastor.  He  planted  Methodism  in  all  that  part  of 
the  state  known  as  the  Yadkin  Valley.  Salisbury  Circuit 
was  formed  in  1783  from  the  Yadkin  Circuit,  with  Bev- 
erly Allen,  James  Foster,  and  James  Hinton  as  its  pastors. 
They  began  with  thirty  members,  but  at  the  end  of  the 
year  they  reported  a  membership  of  three  hundred  and 
seventy-five,  showing  a  net  gain  of  three  hundred  and 
forty-five.  It  is  difficult  to  find  the  exact  boundary  line 
of  this  circuit.  The  late  Dr.  M.  L.  Wood  thought  that  it 
embraced  Rowan,  Davie,  Davidson,  Forsyth,  Stokes,  and 
parts  of  Randolph  and  Montgomery  counties.  There  is 
(242) 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  243 

some  doubt  as  to  whether  it  extended  so  far  north,  as  the 
Yadkin  Circuit  would  in  all  probability  embrace  a  part  of 
this  territory.  Montgomery  county  at  this  period  em- 
braced what  is  now  Stanly  county,  and  it  is  quite  sure  that 
the  preachers  on  the  Salisbury  Circuit  in  1783  preached  at 
Randall's,  a  few  miles  north  of  Norwood,  and  at  several 
points  in  the  forks  of  the  Uwharrie  and  Yadkin  rivers. 
For  in  all  probability  societies  had  been  organized  in  this 
section  previous  to  this  date,  Dr.  Wood  thinks  as  early  as 
1780.1  Center,  at  first  called  Reeves's  meetinghouse,  is 
thought  to  be  the  oldest  Methodist  preaching  place  in  this 
part  of  the  country.  It  is  located  between  Uwharrie  and 
Yadkin  rivers,  in  the  upper  part  of  Montgomery  county. 
About  eight  miles  north  of  Center,  in  the  southern  part 
of  Randolph  county,  is  Salem,  which  was  organized  about 
the  same  time.  It  was  first  called  Russell's  meetinghouse, 
by  which  it  is  known  in  Asbury's  Journal.  In  December, 
1793,  Bishop  Asbury  came  across  Deep  River,  crossed 
Uwharrie  at  Fuller's  Ford,  and  preached  at  Russell's,  now 
Salem,  where  he  met  some  people  who  had  heard  him 
"many  years  past"  in  Virginia.  He  was  here  again  in 
1798  in  attendance  upon  a  quarterly  meeting.  At  a  very 
early  date  another  society  was  organized  a  few  miles 
southeast  of  Center.  It  was  called  Hancock's  meeting-- 
house,  near  Macedonia.  John  Hancock  lived  near  the  site 
of  this  church;  he  became  a  local  preacher,  and  was  or- 

*Many  of  these  facts  concerning  Methodism  in  the  forks  of 
Uwharrie  and  Yadkin  rivers  are  obtained  from  a  manuscript  pre- 
pared by  Dr.  M.  L.  Wood,  whose  father  lived  to  be  very  old,  having 
a  remarkable  memory  to  the  last,  and  from  him  much  of  this  in- 
formation was  received. 


244  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

dained  a  deacon  by  Bishop  Asbury  on  November  25,  1795. 
His  faded  ordination  paper  is  now  before  me.  This  man 
was  a  power  for  good,  not  only  in  his  immediate  neighbor- 
hood, but  for  many  miles  around.  His  ashes  now  rest 
near  the  church  which  for  many  years  honored  him  with 
his  name.  The  local  ministry  did  much  in  that  day  to 
plant  Methodism  in  these  scattered  communities  in  North 
Carolina.  On  the  east  of  Uwharrie  there  was  another 
preaching  place  on  the  Salisbury  Circuit,  which  was 
known  at  that  time  as  Bell's  meetinghouse,  but  the  name 
was  changed  to  Prospect.  The  above  churches,  with  a 
number  of  others  with  the  exception  of  Prospect,  remained 
on  the  Salisbury  Circuit  until  1831,  when  the  Randolph 
Circuit  was  formed. 

Among  the  early  preaching  places  further  up  the  Yad- 
kin we  find  Beal's,  Whitaker's,  McKnight's,  and  Olive 
Branch.  The  latter  was  located  near  Farmington  in  Da- 
vie county.1 

lrrhe  following  lines  were  composed  by  Dr.  E.  M.  Griffin,  of 
Farmington,  while  sitting  near  the  ruins  of  this  old  church,  on  May 
15,    1904: 

"Thou  hast  crumbled  to  the  dust,  old  pile ; 

Time  hath  wrought  thy  hallowed  fall ; 

Around  thy  lonely  doors  clings  ivy  to  the  wall, 
Shrouds  with  its  bloom  the  hidden  stile; 

The  mourners  are  scattered  now, 
Who  oft  have  sought  thy  shrine; 

Some  with  bent  form,  silvered  brow, 
Are  left  on  the  sinking  sands  of  time. 

For  a  hundred  years  thou  hast  stood, 
And  offered  the  olive  branch  of  peace, 

To  soothe  the  souls  of  dying  men,  who  would 
Before  thine  altar  their  fetters  of  sin  release." 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  245 

In  1783  Methodism  was  introduced  into  Salisbury,  and 
a  small  class  was  formed.  One  of  the  original  members  of 
this  class  was  living  as  late  as  1854,  and  from  her  in  that 
year  the  facts  in  the  following  paragraphs  were  gathered 
by  her  pastor,  Rev.  S.  V.  Blake,  of  Bedford,  Pa.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Mr.  William  Temple  Cole,  and  was  born 
in  Cheraw,  S.  C,  in  1763.  Her  parents  moved  to  Salis- 
bury when  she  was  only  two  years  old.  Losing  her  father, 
her  mother  married  Mr.  William  Thompson.  During 
the  great  excitement  of  the  Revolutionary  War  they 
moved  to  Maryland,  where  they  spent  two  years.  Here 
Miss  Henrietta  Cole  was  married  to  Philip  Fishburn. 
After  the  war  was  over  they  returned  to  Salisbury. 

Miss  Cole,  now  Mrs.  Fishburn,  had  received  some  early 
religious  instruction  from  her  father  which  had  made  a 
good  impression.  She  formed  a  taste  for  reading  in  early 
life,  which  was  never  lost,  and  which  accounts  for  the 
rich  store  of  information  she  possessed.  She  was  con- 
victed at  nine  years  of  age  and  converted  in  her  sixteenth 
year.  While  she  had  no  spiritual  adviser,  the  Holy  Spirit 
seems  to  have  been  her  guide  and  teacher  from  whom  she 
learned  something  of  the  spiritual  life.  From  the  reading 
of  "Pilgrim's  Progress"  she  obtained  much  light  and  en- 
couragement. At  the  time  of  her  conversion  she  had 
never  heard  of  the  Methodists.  But  her  conversion  was 
bright  and  happy,  and  from  that  joyful  hour  she  lost  her 
relish  for  foolish  and  sinful  amusements,  and  utterly  re- 
fused to  participate  in  a  dancing  party  at  her  brother's,  to 
the  astonishment  of  all  present.  Her  soul  hungered  for 
religious  food,  and  she  sought  it  from  the  Roman  Cath- 


246  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

olics,  Quakers,  and  Dunkers ;  but  it  was  all  a  disappoint- 
ment to  her. 

Soon  after  her  return  to  Salisbury,  at  the  close  of  the 
war,  it  was  announced  that  there  would  be  preaching  in  a 
schoolhouse  by  a  new  kind  of  people,  called  Methodists. 
She  knew  nothing  about  that  people,  either  good  or  bad ; 
but  rejoicing  at  the  prospect  of  hearing  the  gospel,  she 
went  early  to  the  place  of  preaching,  and  was  expecting  to 
see  a  minister  resembling  the  old  church  parsons;  but 
judge  of  her  surprise,  when,  instead  of  a  stout,  good-look- 
ing, finely-dressed  gentleman,  with  gown  and  surplice, 
in  silk  stockings  and  silver  buckles,  in  walked  a  slender, 
delicate  young  man  dressed  in  homespun  cotton  jeans. 
Though  plainly  attired,  she  perceived  in  his  countenance 
unusual  solemnity  and  goodness.  The  preacher  was  the 
Rev.  Beverly  Allen. 

The  impressions  made  upon  her  mind  and  heart  by  this 
sermon,  the  first  she  ever  heard  from  a  Methodist  min- 
ister, were  never  effaced  from  her  memory.  The  subject 
was  experimental  religion,  explained  and  enforced.  To 
her  surprise,  the  preacher  unfolded  her  entire  experience, 
and  seemed  to  give  in  detail  all  the  exercises  of  her  mind, 
from  her  first  conviction  for  sin  until  she  was  made  happy 
in  the  love  of  God.  Not  till  then  did  she  know  that  she 
enjoyed  religion ;  although  happy,  she  did  not  fully  under- 
stand why.  Her  experience  exactly  agreeing  with  the 
word  preached,  she  concluded  that  the  preacher,  an  entire 
stranger,  could  not  have  known  so  much  about  her  had  not 
God  revealed  it  to  him.  At  his  third  visit  he  formed  a 
small  class,  of  which  she  was  one.     Such  was  the  intro- 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  247 

duction  of  Methodism  into  Salisbury,  in  the  summer  of 

1783. 

Rev.  James  Douthet,  writing  to  a  friend  in  1834,  when 
he  was  quite  old,  says  that  during  this  year,  1783,  James 
Foster  visited  his  father's  house  in  Rowan  county  and 
established  a  preaching  place  that  continued  for  many 
years,  until  a  meetinghouse  was  built  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Foster  was  the  first  Methodist  preacher  that  young 
Douthet  ever  saw.  These  early  preachers  had  a  very  fine 
influence  over  Mr.  Douthet,  for  he  says :  "I  believe  to  the 
present  day  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  never  ap- 
peared more  in  its  native  beauty  and  simplicity  in  its  pro- 
fessors, since  the  days  of  the  apostles  and  primitive  fa- 
thers, than  it  did  in  the  Methodist  preachers  in  the  infancy 
of  Methodism." 

The  year  following,  Jesse  Lee  and  Isaac  Smith  were 
sent  to  the  Salisbury  Circuit,  and  Philip  Bruce  was  sent 
to  the  Yadkin  Circuit.  From  the  class  of  men  sent  to  the 
Yadkin  Valley  for  this  year,  1784,  we  would  judge  that 
it  was  regarded  as  a  very  promising  field ;  for  they  were 
among  the  strongest  preachers  in  the  connection.  From 
the  beginning,  Mr.  Lee  met  with  great  encouragement  on 
the  circuit.  Congregations  were  large,  and  anxious  to 
hear  the  word  of  life.  He  reached  the  circuit  on  the  9th  of 
June,  and  on  the  12th  he  met  his  colleague  at  Salisbury 
where  they  had  an  appointment  to  preach.  Here  Mr.  Lee 
says  in  his  Journal  that  he  found  "a  society  of  truly  affec- 
tionate Christians,"  to  whom  the  reader  has  been  intro- 
duced. While  here  Mr.  Lee  visited  the  spot  near  Salis- 
bury where  he  was  encamped  with  the  army  in   1780. 


248  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

How  different  his  mission  now !  He  comes  now  among 
Christian  friends  to  teach  them  the  way  of  life.  In  order 
to  see  the  spirit  of  this  man  of  God  and  something  of  his 
field,  his  work,  and  the  dangers  to  which  he  was  exposed, 
we  will  let  him  speak  for  himself.  We  quote  from  his 
Journal : 

"Sunday,  13th,  I  preached  at  Hern's,  to  a  large  com- 
pany of  solemn  hearers.  While  I  was  speaking  of  the  love 
of  God,  I  felt  so  much  of  that  love  in  my  own  soul  that  I 
burst  into  a  flood  of  tears,  and  could  speak  no  more  for 
some  time,  but  stood  and  wept.  I  then  began  again ;  but 
was  so  much  overcome  that  I  had  to  stop  and  weep  several 
times  before  I  finished  my  subject.  There  were  very  few 
dry  eyes  in  the  house.  O  my  God !  what  am  I  that  thou 
art  mindful  of  me  ?  It  was  a  cross  to  me  to  come  to  this 
circuit,  but  now  I  feel  assured  that  the  Lord  will  be  with 
and  support  me. 

"The  next  day  I  preached  at  brother  Carter's,  where  I 
spoke,  with  many  tears,  to  a  weeping  congregation. 

"Wednesday,  16th,  I  preached  at  John  Randall's,  with 
some  liberty.  The  man  of  the  house  was  always  deaf  and 
dumb,  yet  can  pronounce  the  name  of  his  wife  and  the 
name  of  his  brother  very  distinctly;  but  I  could  not  learn 
that  he  ever  uttered  any  other  word.  He  is  esteemed  a 
pious  man,  and  by  signs  will  give  a  good  experience  of 
grace,  both  of  his  conviction  and  conversion,  and  of  his 
progress  in  the  service  of  the  Lord ;  of  the  pleasing  hope 
he  has  of  heaven  when  he  leaves  this  world. 

"Thursday,  17th,  I  preached  at  C.  Leadbetter's  on 
Amos  iv.  12,  'Prepare  to  meet  thy  God,  O  Israel !'    I  bless 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  249 

God  for  that  meeting ;  my  heart  was  greatly  affected,  and 
my  eyes  overflowed  with  tears.  Toward  the  end  of  my 
discourse,  the  hearers  were  so  much  wrought  upon  that 
I  was  in  hopes  of  seeing  some  of  them  converted  before 
the  close  of  the  meeting. 

"Sunday,  20th,  I  preached  at  Cole's,  but  the  congrega- 
tion was  so  large  that  the  house  would  not  hold  them ;  of 
course  we  had  to  look  for  another  place ;  we  got  under  the 
shade  of  some  trees,  where  I  spoke  with  great  freedom,  and 
with  a  heart  drawn  out  in  love  to  the  souls  of  people ;  and 
I  felt  a  longing  desire  to  be  instrumental  in  bringing  their 
souls  to  God.  When  I  met  the  class,  the  friends  wept 
greatly  while  they  heard  each  other  tell  of  the  goodness 
of  God  to  their  souls.  The  comfort  I  felt  on  serving  God 
that  day  would  make  amends  for  the  sufferings  of  a 
thousand  troubles, — let  the  people  praise  thee,  O  God !  let 
all  the  people  praise  thee. 

"Wednesday,  23d  [he  observed],  I  preached  at  what  is 
called  Jersey  meetinghouse,  Davidson  county;  we  had  a 
good  meeting,  and  I  was  happy  in  God  while  I  was  speak- 
ing.    When  I  had  finished,  Colonel  G s's  wife  came 

to  me  and  began  to  cry,  and  said,  'I  know  I  am  the  worst 
creature  in  the  world;  my  heart  is  so  hard  I  don't  know 
what  to  do,'  and  begged  me  to  pray  for  her.  I  hope  she 
is  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God." 

Minton  Thrift,  in  his  "Memoirs  of  Jesse  Lee,"  says: 
"A  few  days  after  the  date  of  the  above  extract,  he  ex- 
perienced a  very  singular  display  of  Providence,  in  the 
preservation  of  his  life.  Crossing  Yadkin  River,  it  being 
deep,  the  current  strong,  and  he  not  being  well  acquainted 


250  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

with  the  ford,  he  presently  found  himself  among  cragged 
rocks  which  were  concealed  from  his  view  by  the  darkness 
of  the  waters ;  this  was  a  critical  juncture ;  for  one  moment 
his  horse  was  swimming,  then  plunging  over  the  points 
of  rugged  rocks.  While  Mr.  Lee  was  encumbered  with  a 
greatcoat,  with  his  saddlebags  on  his  arm,  and  being  but 
an  indifferent  swimmer,  he  had  but  little  expectation  of 
being  delivered  from  the  danger  which  then  threatened 
him;  but  through  the  good  providence  of  God  he  was 
brought  through  unhurt,  and  his  life  preserved  for  future 
usefulness." 

Mr.  Lee's  colleague,  Isaac  Smith,  was  also  a  man  of 
ability,  though  this  was  his  first  year  in  the  ministry.  In 
1785  he  was  appointed  to  the  Tar  River  Circuit.  The 
next  year  he  was  with  Henry  Willis  in  Charleston.  He 
continued  to  travel  as  a  circuit  preacher  and  presiding 
elder  until  1796,  when  excessive  labors  proved  too  much 
for  his  strength;  for  which  cause  he  was  located  until 
1820,  when  he  was  readmitted  and  appointed  to  Columbia. 
In  182 1  he  was  presiding  elder  of  the  Athens  District, 
Georgia.  On  account  of  failing  health,  it  became  neces- 
sary for  him  to  take  a  superannuate  relation  in  1827.  He 
was  the  oldest,  and  most  honored  and  beloved  of  all  the 
preachers.  After  much  suffering,  he  died  of  a  cancer  July 
30th,  1834,  full  of  faith  and  the  comfort  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  aged  seventy-six  years,  and  for  more  than  half  a 
century  a  minister  of  the  gospel.1 

Tacts  gathered  from  the  Minutes,  Vol.  II.,  page  346.  It  is  said 
that  he  wrote  memoirs  of  himself,  but  we  are  unable  to  say  if  they 
were   ever  published.     Rev.   James    Patterson   wrote   an   extended 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  251 

The  Conference  met  at  Green  Hill's  on  April  20th, 
1785  ;  and  Joshua  Hartley  and  Hope  Hull  were  sent  to  the 
Salisbury  Circuit,  and  Henry  Bingham  and  Thomas  Wil- 
liamson to  the  Yadkin  Circuit,  with  Richard  Ivey  as  pre- 
siding elder.1  Little  is  known  of  Mr.  Hartley,  but  Hope 
Hull  became  one  of  the  best-known  men  in  the  Church. 
He  was  a  native  of  Maryland;  was  born  March  13th, 
1763.  He  was  sent  at  an  early  age  to  Baltimore,  where 
he  was  apprenticed  to  a  house  carpenter  and  remained 
until  he  joined  the  Conference  in  1785,  at  which  time  he 
was  appointed  to  the  Salisbury  Circuit.  In  1786  he  was 
appointed  to  the  Pee  Dee  Circuit  in  South  Carolina.  Dur- 
ing this  year  he  organized  a  society  at  Zion,  near  Mount 
Gilead,  in  Montgomery  county,  North  Carolina.  For 
many  years  it  was  called  Scarborough's  meetinghouse.  It 
became  a  strong  church,  where  camp  meetings  were  held 
annually  for  fifty  years.  It  was  the  home  church  of  Rev. 
Lewis  Scarborough,  of  the  South  Carolina  Conference; 
and  later,  of  the  Rev.  D.  R.  Bruton,  late  of  the  North 
Carolina  Conference.2 

Of  Hope  Hull's  work  on  the  Pee  Dee  Circuit,  Dr.  Shipp 
says:  "His  popularity  in  the  Pee  Dee  country  was  un- 
bounded, and  his  name,  like  that  of  Martin,  was  perpet- 

memoir  of  him,  and  published  it  in  the  Christian  Advocate  and 
Journal  of  January  9,  1835. 

'They  were  simply  called  elders  at  that  time,  which  meant  about 
the  same  as  presiding  elders  in  our  day;  hence  we  use  the  term  as 
used  to-day. 

2We  are  indebted  to  brother  H.  M.  Scarborough,  of  Mount 
Gilead,  for  facts  concerning  Zion  church.  His  father  was  a  local 
preacher,  who  not  only  preserved  some  of  the  history  of  this  section, 
but  helped  to  make  much  of  it. 


252  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

uated  by  incorporation  as  a  family  name  in  many  house- 
holds." Dr.  Coke  was  delighted  with  him,  and  in  speak- 
ing of  his  work  makes  this  mention  of  him :  "Mr.  Hull  is 
young,  but  is  indeed  a  flame  of  fire.  He  appears  always 
on  the  stretch  for  the  salvation  of  souls."  In  1787  he  was 
sent  to  Amelia  Circuit,  Virginia;  1788,  Washington, 
Georgia;  1792,  with  Jesse  Lee  in  New  England;  1794, 
Asbury's  traveling  companion.  He  ended  his  warfare  on 
October  4th,  18 18,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five. 

From  the  account  given  of  him  in  "Sprague's  Annals" 
by  Rev.  Dr.  Lovick  Pierce,  he  must  have  been  a  preacher 
far  above  the  average.  He  was  a  fine  specimen  of  an  old- 
fashioned  Methodist  preacher.  His  oratory  was  natural. 
He  never  spoiled  his  speaking  by  scholarship  restraints. 
He  improved  every  opportunity  of  doing  good, — was 
always  ready  to  represent  his  Lord.  As  an  evidence  of 
this  statement,  the  following  story  is  told.  He  was  in- 
vited to  a  house  to  spend  the  night  where  a  ball  was  to  be 
held,  and  when  requested  to  dance,  "he  took  the  floor  and 
remarked  aloud,  'I  never  engage  in  any  kind  of  business 
without  first  asking  the  blessing  of  God  upon  it,  so  let  us 
pray.'  Quick  as  thought  the  preacher  was  on  his  knees 
praying  in  the  most  earnest  manner  for  the  souls  of  the 
people,  that  God  would  open  their  eyes  to  see  their  danger, 
and  convert  them  from  the  error  of  their  ways.  All  pres- 
ent were  amazed  and  overwhelmed;  many  fled  in  terror 
from  the  house,  while  others,  feeling  the  power  of  God 
in  their  midst,  began  to  plead  for  mercy  and  forgiveness. 
After  the  prayer,  he  said,  'On  to-day  four  weeks  I  expect 
to  preach  at  this  house,'  and  quietly  retired.     On  the  ap- 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  253 

pointed  day  the  inhabitants  for  miles  around  were  as- 
sembled, and  heard  one  of  the  most  eloquent  and  power- 
ful sermons  that  ever  fell  on  human  ears.  From  the  work 
begun  in  a  ballroom  a  most  powerful  revival  of  religion 
extended  in  every  direction,  and  many  were  added  to  the 
Church."1 

Henry  Bingham,  1785,  was  on  the  Yadkin  Circuit. 
This  was  his  first  year  in  the  itinerancy.  He  was  a  native 
of  Virginia;  and  after  being  admitted  into  the  Confer- 
ence, he  traveled  Yadkin,  Salisbury,  Pee  Dee,  and  Edisto 
circui^.  He  was  a  student  and  a  very  serious,  earnest, 
and  faithful  servant  of  the  Master.  He  was  zealous  and 
fervent  in  his  preaching.  At  Cattle  Creek  camp  ground, 
in  Edisto  Circuit,  he  died  in  1788.  In  his  last  hours  he 
had  peace  and  resignation. 

Thomas  Williamson,  his  colleague  on  the  Yadkin  Cir- 
cuit, was  a  very  laborious  and  successful  preacher.  He 
wore  himself  out  in  the  intinerancy,  dying  in  great  peace 
near  Lexington,  Kentucky.  During  the  three  years  fol- 
lowing the  one  spent  on  the  Yadkin  Circuit,  he  assisted 
such  men  as  Poythress  and  Wilson  Lee  in  spreading  a 

'See  the  Centennial  edition  of  the  Athens,  Ga.,  Daily  Banner,  of 
June  16,  1901.  Here  the  editor  gives  a  short  sketch  of  this  eloquent 
preacher.  The  house  in  which  he  lived  is  still  standing  next  below 
Oconee  Street  Church.  He  established  the  Washington  Academy 
of  Athens  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century.  He  was 
an  active  trustee  of  the  university,  and  at  one  time  acting  president. 
His  three  children  were  born  in  Athens.  Asbury  Hull  was  a  lawyer 
and  a  man  of  affairs,  being  a  planter,  banker,  first  president  of  the 
Southern  Mutual  Insurance  Company,  and  was  prominent  in  the 
Church  and  the  State.  Dr.  Henry  Hull  was  a  physician  and  trustee 
of  the  university,  and  was  at  one  time  professor  of  mathematics  in 
that  institution. 


254  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

flame  of  revival  fire  over  the  wild  and  uncultivated  regions 
of  Kentucky. 

Richard  Ivey  this  year  was  presiding  elder  of  a  district 
embracing  Caswell,  Salisbury,  and  Halifax  circuits.  He 
was  made  an  elder  at  the  organization  of  the  Church,  and 
most  of  his  itinerant  life  was  spent  in  that  office.  He  trav- 
eled extensively  in  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland, 
Virginia,  North  and  South  Carolina,  and  Georgia.  He 
was  a  native  of  Sussex  county,  Virginia ;  and  after  spend- 
ing eighteen  years  in  the  itinerancy,  he  died  at  his  home  in 
Virginia.  The  minutes  say  "he  was  a  man  of  quicjc  and 
solid  parts;  that  he  sought  not  himself."  Thomas  Ware, 
a  young  preacher  who  accompanied  him  to  an  appoint- 
ment on  one  occasion,  relates  this  anecdote  of  him :  "The 
conduct  of  the  English  preachers  who  had  been  loyal  to 
their  king  had  excited  toward  the  Methodist  preachers  a 
general  feeling  of  distrust  on  the  part  of  the  patriots.  The 
native  American  preachers  were  all  in  full  sympathy  with 
the  colonists,  but  often  they  had  to  encounter  this,  to  them, 
painful  and  dangerous  suspicion.  Some  soldiers  where 
Ivey  was  preaching  had  loudly  threatened  to  arrest  the 
next  Methodist  preacher  that  came  along.  Ivey's  appoint- 
ment was  near  where  the  army  was  in  camp.  He  went 
to  his  appointment.  The  soldiers  came,  and  the  officers, 
walking  to  the  table,  crossed  their  swords  upon  it.  The 
brave  little  man  took  for  his  text,  'Fear  not,  little  flock.' 
As  he  preached  he  spoke  of  the  folly  of  fearing  the  sol- 
diers of  freedom,  and  throwing  open  his  bosom  he  said, 
'Sirs,  I  would  fain  show  you  my  heart ;  if  it  beats  not  high 
for  liberty,  may  it  cease  to  beat.'    The  soldiers  were  con- 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  255 

quered,  and  they  left  the  house  huzzaing  for  the  Meth- 
odist parson." 

At  the  Conference  held  in  Salisbury  in  February,  1786, 
Reuben  Ellis  was  appointed  presiding-  elder,  with  Salis- 
bury, Yadkin,  and  Holston  circuits  forming  the  district. 
Salisbury  had  for  its  preachers  Thomas  Williamson  and 
Henry  Bingham ;  while  Robert  J.  Miller  and  John  Mason 
were  sent  to  Yadkin  Circuit. 

The  presiding  elder,  Reuben  Ellis,  was  one  of  the  lead- 
ers of  early  Methodism.    He  was  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina.   His  name  first  appears  on  the  minutes  in  1777,  when 
he  was  appointed  as  a  colleague  of  Dromgoole  to  Amelia 
Circuit,  Virginia.     He  died  in  Baltimore,  his  last  station, 
in  the  month  of  February,  1796.     At  his  death  the  min- 
utes said  of  him :  "It  is  a  doubt  whether  there  be  one  left 
in  all  the  connection  higher,  if  equal,  in  standing,  piety, 
and  usefulness."     He  gave  his  life  to  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel,  willing  to  make  any  sacrifice  and  endure  any 
hardship  in  order  to  make  full  proof  of  his  ministry.    The 
minutes  further  say:  "In  twenty  years  of  labor,  to  our 
knowledge,  he  never  laid  up  twenty  pounds  by  preach- 
ing."    "He  was  not  only  a  man  of  one  work,  but  a  man 
of  God."     "He,  like  Fletcher,  lived  as  on  the  verge  of 
eternity,  enjoying  much  of  the  presence  of  God.     He 
was  always  ready  to  fill  any  station  to  which  he  was  ap- 
pointed, although  he  might  go  through  the  fire  of  tempta- 
tion and  waters  of  affliction."     He  was  a  man  of  large 
stature  but  slender  constitution.     He  was  a  wise  leader, 
and  a  true  friend.     As  a  preacher  he  was  "weighty  and 
powerful."    His  labors  extended  from  the  state  of  Geor- 


256  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

gia  to  Baltimore.  Bishop  Asbury,  in  his  Journal,  says  of 
him :  "I  was  somewhat  alarmed  at  the  sudden  death  of 
Reuben  Ellis,  who  hath  been  in  the  ministry  upward  of 
twenty  years ;  a  faithful  man  of  God,  of  slow  but  very 
solid  parts.  He  was  an  excellent  counselor,  and  a  steady 
yoke-fellow  in  Jesus." 

Robert  J.  Miller,  who  was  one  of  the  preachers  on  the 
Yadkin  Circuit  this  year,  was  sent  before  the  close  of  the 
year  west  of  the  Catawba,  to  form  a  circuit  in  Lincoln. 
However,  he  did  not  form  a  circuit  or  organize  a  church. 
He  soon  fell  in  with  a  large  settlement  of  German  Lu- 
therans, who  received  him  kindly,  and  he  was  soon  induced 
to  become  their  pastor  at  "Old  White  Haven."  He  be- 
came dissatisfied  with  that  congregation,  and  joined  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  "He  finally  settled,  lived, 
and  died  near  the  present  town  of  Lenoir,  N.  C.1 

John  Mason  began  his  itinerant  life  with  Mr.  Allen  in 
1785;  was  admitted  on  trial  in  1786,  serving  the  Yadkin 
Circuit  his  first  year  in  the  itinerancy.  He  traveled  the 
Broad  River  Circuit  in  1787,  where  he  did  a  great  work. 
It  does  not  appear  that  he  took  an  appointment  after  this. 

'In  the  "History  of  the  North  Carolina  Synod,"  page  19,  we  get 
the  following  facts,  from  which  we  conclude  that  he  was  at  least 
very  changeable.  He  was  born  in  Scotland;  came  to  America  and 
located  in  Charleston,  Mass.,  in  1774.  At  the  close  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  we  find  him  in  Virginia,  and  in  1784  he  joined  the 
Methodist  Church  and  was  licensed  to  preach.  While  he  was  lay 
reader  for  the  Episcopal  congregation  at  White  Haven  in  Lincoln 
county,  they  desired  his  ordination,  and,  there  being  no  Episcopal 
diocese  in  North  Carolina  at  the  time,  petitioned  the  Lutheran  pas- 
tors for  his  ordination.  Five  Lutheran  pastors  met  and  ordained 
him,  and  he  was  the  second  pastor  ever  ordained  by  the  Lutheran 
ministry  in  North  Carolina. 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  257 

For  the  year  1787  Reuben  Ellis  was  returned  to  the 
district.  Henry  Bingham  was  sent  to  the  Pee  Dee  Cir- 
cuit; W.  Partridge,  B.  McHenry,  and  J.  Connor  to  the 
Yadkin,  and  Mark  Moore  to  the  Salisbury  circuits. 
Barnabas  McHenry  and  James  Connor  had  just  been  ad- 
mitted into  the  Conference.  The  career  of  the  latter  was 
brief — only  serving  about  two  and  a  half  years.  He 
fell  at  his  post  on  the  Buckingham  Circuit  in  1790.  "A 
pious,  solid,  understanding  man.  His  gifts  were  improva- 
ble, and  promised  usefulness  to  the  Church.  In  the  midst 
of  a  blameless  life  he  was  suddenly  taken  away  from 
labor  and  suffering,  and  blessed  with  confidence  in  his 
last  moments." 

Barnabas  McHenry  was  quite  young,  having  barely 
reached  his  majority.  In  the  year  1788  he  was  sent  west 
to  the  Cumberland  Circuit,  on  the  very  borders  of  the 
white  population.  Here  he  was  surrounded  with  many 
dangers.  Indians  would  often  mercilessly  attack  the  pale 
faces  who  invaded  their  territory.  But  God  gave  them 
success,  and  the  wilderness  and  solitary  places  often  re- 
sounded with  the  shouts  of  the  converted.  He  traveled 
circuits  until  1792,  when  he  was  appointed  presiding  elder 
of  the  Holston  District.  Here  he  was  exposed  to  the 
savages  and  all  the  difficulties  of  traveling  without  roads 
or  bridges,  yet  he  urged  his  way  through  the  tangled 
thickets  and  dense  forests,  across  rapid  streams  and 
craggy  mountains,  preaching  Christ  in  log  cabins  in  the 
most  desolate  regions.  He  located  in  1797  on  account  of 
declining  strength  from  overtaxed  exertions.  But  in  this 
relation  his  zeal  for  Christ  was  unabated,  taking  an  active 
17 


258  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

part  in  the  great  revival  of  1800.  In  1819  he  reentered 
the  traveling  connection  and  again  took  his  place  in  the 
itinerant  field.1 

McHenry  possessed  a  high  order  of  intellect  and  ac- 
quired a  good  share  of  learning  considering  the  few  ad- 
vantages of  that  day.  All  his  powers  were  given  to  the 
Church.  His  laborious  life  ended  in  peace  on  June  16, 
1833,  after  preaching  the  gospel  for  half  a  century.  Such 
a  life  is  a  worthy  example  for  emulation. 

Mark  Moore  had  all  the  Salisbury  Circuit  by  himself. 
He  entered  the  Conference  in  1786,  and  was  appointed  to 
Holston;  in  1787,  to  Salisbury;  1789,  to  Santee;  1798,  to 
Broad  River;  in  1799,  located.  In  1819  he  was  stationed 
in  New  Orleans.  Dr.  Shipp  says  of  him :  "He  possessed 
every  requisite  qualification  to  render  him  an  eloquent 
and  effective  preacher  of  the  gospel,  and  if  he  had  con- 
tinued in  the  regular  itinerant  work  he  would  have  be- 
come truly  a  polished  shaft  in  Jehovah's  quiver.  He  was 
a  fine  scholar  and  good  educator,  but  unfortunate  in  the 
management  of  his  temporal  affairs.  He  lived  to  be  quite 
aged,  and  to  the  last  was  the  faithful  and  holy  man  of 
God." 

We  find  the  following  membership  reported  for  this 
year,  1787 :  Salisbury,  391  whites  and  24  colored;  Yadkin, 
517  whites  and  20  colored;  Pee  Dee,  790  whites  and  33 
colored.  These  were  large  circuits,  manned  by  heroic 
men,  and  while  the  growth  was  not  rapid,  it  was  a  wonder- 
ful progress  under  all  the  circumstances.  They  were  lay- 
ing a  foundation  upon  which  we  are  building  to-day. 

'Finley's  "Western  Methodism,"  page  152. 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  259 

At  the  Conference  in  1788  the  presiding  elders'  dis- 
tricts were  made  very  much  larger  than  heretofore.  John 
Tunnell  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the  Yadkin  Dis- 
trict. His  district  embraced  the  following  circuits :  Roa- 
noke, Caswell,  New  Hope,  Guilford,  Salisbury,  Yadkin, 
and  Halifax.  This  district  embraced  as  much  territory  as 
that  embraced  by  the  North  Carolina  Conference  at  pres- 
ent. Bishop  Asbury  passed  through  a  part  of  this  district 
in  April,  and  makes  this  entry  in  his  Journal :  "We  crept 
for  shelter  into  a  little  dirty  house,  where  the  filth  might 
have  been  taken  from  the  floor  with  a  spade.  We  felt  the 
want  of  fire,  but  could  get  little  wood  to  make  it,  and  what 
we  gathered  was  wet."  And  again  in  1793  he  says  while 
in  this  territory :  "I  have  little  desire  to  come  here  again — 
we  can  hardly  get  entertainment.     ...     I  determined 

to  haste  along,  and  made  it  about  thirty  miles  to  F 's, 

in  the  cove  of  the  mountain;  where  we  rested  in  peace, 
after  getting  a  little  Indian  bread,  fried  bacon,  and  drink- 
ing some  of  our  own  tea.  Our  lodging  was  on  a  bed  set 
upon  forks,  and  clapboards  laid  across,  on  an  earthen  floor 
cabin.  But  worse  than  all  the  rest,  these  people  decline  in 
religion.  I  feel  awful  for  them  on  this  account.  Next 
morning,  about  sunrise,  we  took  the  path  up  the  moun- 
tain." 

John  Tunnell  was  a  frail,  delicate  man;  and  how  he 
traveled  this  large  district,  enduring  the  hardships  and  ex- 
posures incident  thereto,  we  are  unable  to  say.  It  must 
have  been  by  grace  that  he  was  enabled  to  go  and  to  en- 
dure as  he  did.  "He  was  truly  an  apostolic  man;  his 
heavenly-mindedness  seemed  to  shine  on  his  face,  and 


260  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

made  him  appear  more  like  an  inhabitant  of  heaven  than 
of  earth."1  He  was  received  on  probation  at  the  Confer- 
ence in  1777,  and  was  sent  to  the  famous  Brunswick  Cir- 
cuit. He  was  appointed  as  one  of  the  original  elders  at 
the  organization  of  the  Church,  though  he  was  not  pres- 
ent at  the  memorable  Christmas  Conference.  "He  had 
gone  in  quest  of  health  to  the  West  India  island  of  St. 
Christopher's,  where  he  was  offered  a  good  salary,  a 
house,  and  a  slave  to  wait  upon  him,  if  he  would  remain  as 
a  pastor ;  but  he  declined  the  offer,  and  returning,  was  or- 
dained, and  resumed  his  travels  in  the  states  with  great 
success.2  Lee  says  "bis  gifts  as  a  preacher  were  great." 
Stevens  says,  "Tunnell  was  one  of  the  most  eloquent 
preachers  of  that  age." 

In  1778  he  traveled  the  Baltimore  Circuit.  After  sev- 
eral years  of  indefatigable  labors  in  the  middle  states,  he 
was  sent  by  the  Conference  in  1787  with  four  others, 
"among  whom  was  young  Thomas  Ware,  beyond  the 
mountains,  to  the  Holston  country,  now  called  East  Ten- 
nessee." He  thus  scaled  the  Alleghanies,  and  takes  his- 
torical rank  among  the  founders  of  Methodism  in  the 
great  valley  of  the  west.  His  last  appointment  was  in  this 
frontier  field  (1789),  where  he  fell  at  the  head  of  a  little 
corps  of  seven  itinerants,  who  were  on  four  circuits,  after 
thirteen  years  of  faithful  services,  a  victim  of  consump- 
tion. He  died  near  "Sweet  Springs"  in  July,  1790;  his 
brethren  bore  his  remains  over  the  mountains,  about  five 
miles,  where  Asbury  preached  his  funeral,  and  interred 

Atkinson's  Memorials,  page  204. 
:Stevens,  Vol.  II.,  page  34. 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  261 

him  there  among  the  hills  of  western  Virginia,  where  he 
sleeps  without  a  memorial ;  but  his  name  will  live  forever 
in  the  "record  on  high,"  if  not  on  earth.1 

Asbury  came  down  on  John's  River  during  April  and 
spent  a  few  days  in  that  section.  In  speaking  of  the  work, 
he  says :  "Our  preachers  on  the  Yadkin  Circuit  have  been 
sick;  they  have  had  hard  traveling  the  past  winter;  and 
the  work  has  consequently  suffered." 

In  1789  Sihon  Smith,  Julius  Connor,  and  Josiah  Askew 
were  on  the  Salisbury  Circuit.  Sihon  Smith  served  only 
a  few  years  in  the  itinerancy.  He  was  admitted  into  the 
Conference  in  1786,  and  located  in  1792.  Josiah  Askew 
began  to  travel  in  1788,  and  located  in  1798.  His  first  cir- 
cuit was  Halifax ;  the  next,  Salisbury ;  the  next,  Bertie ;  the 
next,  Sussex;  the  next,  Richmond  and  Manchester;  the 
next,  Brunswick.  After  this  he  was  presiding  elder  until 
he  located.  Joseph  Travis  thinks  he  located  from  neces- 
sity, the  allowance  not  being  ample  for  a  support.  Travis 
says :  "His  praise  was  in  all  the  churches  where  he  was 
known,  as  a  gifted  preacher,  a  zealous,  humble,  and  holy 
Christian,  doing  much  good  wherever  he  labored.  He 
ought  not  to  be  forgotten  by  us." 

The  Yadkin  Circuit  was  blessed  with  two  men,  this 
year,  who  had  great  spiritual  power  and  force,  and  who 
were  instrumental  in  kindling  a  revival  flame  that  spread 
all  over  North  Carolina  and  the  west — namely,  Daniel 
Asbury  and  John  McGee.  During  this  year  they  went 
beyond  the  Catawba  with  a  view  of  forming  a  circuit  in 

'Stevens,  Vol.  II.,  page  35. 


262  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

that  section.  Of  these  men  we  will  have  more  to  say  in 
another  chapter. 

In  1793  John  Fore  was  on  the  Yadkin  Circuit,  having 
been  admitted  in  1788,  and  traveling  until  he  located  in 
1797.  David  Haggard  was  on  the  Salisbury  Circuit.  He 
was  a  "faithful,  acceptable,  and  useful  preacher."  He 
was  admitted  in  1787,  and  labored  on  Banks,  Anson,  and 
Halifax  circuits.  He  traveled  two  years  in  Kentucky; 
one  year  on  New  River  Circuit,  and  in  1793  on  the  Salis- 
bury, after  which  his  name  disappears  from  the  minutes. 
He  then  became  connected  with  the  O' Kelly  schism,  but 
afterwards  joined  the  New  Lights  and  died  in  their  com- 
munion.'"1 

During  the  year  1794  William  Spencer  was  appointed 
presiding  elder  of  the  district  embracing  Salisbury,  Yad- 
kin, Anson,  and  Swannanoa  circuits;  and  in  addition  to 
his  duties  as  presiding  elder,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the 
preachers  on  the  Salisbury  Circuit.  Spencer  was  admitted 
on  trial  in  1789,  and  located  in  1797.  Christopher  S. 
Mooring  was  on  the  Yadkin,  and  Henry  Ledbetter  on 
Anson.  Ledbetter  served  in  the  itinerant  ranks  from  1787 
to  1795,  when  he  located.  It  will  be  noticed  that  very  few 
remain  in  the  traveling  connection;  they  soon  drop  out 
from  one  cause  or  another.  Henry  Hill  was  on  the  Yadkin 
Circuit  in  1795,  but  after  traveling  six  years  he  located  in 
1797;  and  Charles  Ledbetter,  who  was  his  colleague  on 
the  Yadkin  Circuit,  only  traveled  from  1794  to  1799. 
David  Thompson  was  on  the  Salisbury  Circuit  for  the  first 
and  second  quarters,  and  on  the  Yadkin  the' third  quarter. 

'Collins's  "Kentucky,"  page  126. 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  263 

He  was  in  the  itinerant  ministry  only  three  years,  from 
1794  to  1797. 

In  1796  John  N.  Jones  was  appointed  to  the  Salisbury 
Circuit.  He  had  been  in  the  traveling  connection  since 
1790,  and  was  a  man  of  great  zeal,  "not  wanting  in  sound 
understanding,  a  fervent  preacher,  plain  in  his  manners 
and  address,  manifesting  himself  wherever  he  went  to  be 
a  Christian  and  a  Christian  minister."  After  being  worn- 
out  with  pain  and  a  variety  of  weaknesses  and  afflictions 
of  body,  he  died  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in  1798. 

Mr.  Jones  had  for  his  colleague  on  the  Salisbury  Circuit 
William  Lambuth,  a  man  who  for  many  years  was  a  bless- 
ing to  the  Church,  and  whose  descendants  are  with  us  to- 
day a  blessing  and  an  honor  to  the  Church.  He  was  admit- 
ted on  trial  in  1796  and  appointed  as  second  man  to  Salis- 
bury; 1797,  Contentney;  1798,  Greenville.  In  1800  he 
traveled  the  Cumberland  Circuit  in  Tennessee,  and  at  the 
close  of  his  labors  here  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Green- 
haw,  the  ceremony  being  performed  by  Rev.  John  McGee. 
He  located  near  Hartsville  in  Tennessee,  where  he  resided 
for  many  years,  and  then  removed  to  Sumner  county, 
Tenn.,  where  he  died  in  1837.  After  his  location  he  con- 
tinued to  preach,  and  was  very  useful  as  a  local  preacher. 
He  had  two  sons  who  became  useful  and  prominent  minis- 
ters of  the  gospel.  One  of  his  sons,  Rev.  John  W.  Lam- 
buth, was  a  missionary  to  China  and  Japan,  and  was  the 
father  of  Rev.  Walter  R.  Lambuth,  our  present  Mission- 
ary Secretary  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South. 

The  Conference  this  year  reported  nine  itinerants  who 
have  died.    This  number  was  rather  large.    Two  of  them 


264  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

were  natives  of  North  Carolina,  and  one  of  them,  Reuben 
Ellis,  was  no  doubt  reared  in  the  Yadkin  Valley  section. 
He  was  a  man  far  above  the  average  in  attainments,  a  safe 
counselor  and  guide,  and  a  strong  preacher.  He  gave 
twenty  years  to  the  itinerancy.  Richard  Ivey  gave 
eighteen  years  of  service  to  the  Church,  traveling  from 
New  Jersey  to  Georgia. 

The  Salisbury  and  Yadkin  circuits  were  now  among  the 
strongest  in  the  connection.  Salisbury  reported  a  mem- 
bership of  574,  while  Yadkin  reported  679  white  and  col- 
ored ;  and  at  this  time  there  is  only  one  other  state  that  re- 
ported more  members  than  North  Carolina.  Virginia 
had  13,779;  North  Carolina  had  8,713;  while  New  York 
followed  with  the  next  highest  number,  4,039 ;  and  South 
Carolina  the  next.  It  will  be  seen  by  these  figures  that 
North  Carolina  and  Virginia  were  the  strongholds  of 
Methodism. 

In  the  year  1797  the  Yadkin  and  Salisbury  circuits  were 
served  by  four  men — Humphrey  Wood,  John  Harper 
(who  was  admitted  in  1795  and  located  in  1803),  Duke 
W.  Hullum,  and  John  King.  Only  two  deaths  among 
the  ministers  were  reported  in  the  minutes  for  1797,  while 
nine  were  reported  last  year.  Salisbury  Circuit  reported 
this  year  733  members,  which  shows  a  net  gain  of  159. 

Salisbury  and  Yadkin  were  ably  served  in  1799,  by 
Thomas  Wilkerson  on  the  Yadkin  and  James  Douthet  and 
James  Denton  on  the  Salisbury,  with  James  Rogers  as 
presiding  elder,  his  district  extending  from  the  French 
Broad  to  Mattamuskeet,  with  fifteen  pastoral  charges. 
These  were  strong  men  in  their  day.    Thomas  Wilkerson, 


Development  in  the  Yadkin   I 'alley.  265 

in  giving  an  account  of  his  work  on  the  circuit,  says :  "In 
the  spring  of  1799  I  rejoined  the  Virginia  Conference,  and 
was  sent  to  Yadkin  Circuit,  North  Carolina.  This  was  a 
laborious  circuit,  as  at  that  time  it  took  in  that  range  of 
high  mountains  running  through  Buncombe  county. 
Here  I  saw  but  little  fruit  of  labor."1 

Thomas  Wilkerson  was  received  on  trial  in  1793,  and 
after  traveling  ten  years  in  the  Virginia  Conference  he 
located  and  removed  to  the  west.  Here  he  resumed  his 
labors,  and  was  very  useful.  He  married  and  settled,  and 
his  house  was  the  resting  place  of  many  a  weary  itinerant. 
He  was  highly  esteemed  for  his  talents  and  piety.  Bishop 
Paine  compared  him  to  Bishop  Roberts  in  his  intellectual, 
moral,  and  social  characteristics. 

James  Rogers,  the  presiding  elder,  was  admitted  on 
trial  in  1791,  and  received  an  appointment  to  Gloucester 
Circuit;  1792,  Orange;  1793,  Amelia;  1794,  Sussex; 
1795,  Edisto;  1796,  Washington;  1797,  Camden;  1798, 
Newbern  District;  and  in  1799  on  the  same  district, 
though  much  enlarged.  In  all  the  above  stations  he  was  a 
faithful  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  labored  acceptably 
and  profitably.  In  doctrine  he  was  clear  and  comprehen- 
sive, and  his  love  for  souls  led  him  to  enforce  the  doctrine 
of  salvation  with  great  zeal  and  energy.  For  the  salvation 
of  souls  was  the  great  end  at  which  he  aimed,  and  to  the 
accomplishment  of  this  end  he  directed  all  his  labors.  He 
located  in  1801,  and  through  the  remaining  days  of  his 

'Letter  written  by  Thomas  Wilkerson  in  1841  to  Rev.  J.  B.  Mc- 
Ferrin,  for  the  Southwestern  Christiati  Advocate. 


266  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

life  he  demonstrated  the  truth  of  the  gospel  which  he  had 
preached  by  a  godly  and  upright  walk. 

In  1800  Nathaniel  Walker  and  John  Ellis  were  on  the 
Yadkin  Circuit,  and  Abner  Henly  and  Jeremiah  King 
were  appointed  to  Salisbury.  Abner  Henly  was  admitted 
on  trial  in  1791.  He  served  two  years  in  the  South  Caro- 
lina Conference,  and  devoted  the  remainder  of  his  itin- 
erant labors  to  North  Carolina.  He  located  in  1796,  but 
was  appointed  to  Salisbury  in  1800. 

Jesse  Lee,  in  his  History,  says:  "High  up  the  Yadkin 
River  the  work  of  the  Lord  was  very  great,  and  more  or 
less  people  were  frequently  converted  at  public  preaching. 
One  preacher  said  he  preached  as  often  as  his  strength 
would  admit  of,  and  the  power  of  God  attended  his  meet- 
ings, and  from  three  to  four,  and  sometimes  from  seven 
to  eight,  were  brought  into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  chil- 
dren of  God,  at  a  meeting."1  He  formed  a  society  at 
Snow  Creek  of  about  fifty  members.  This  was  in  1802. 
Peter  Gaywell,  his  wife  and  two  daughters,  moved  from 
Virginia  in  1800  to  the  neighborhood  of  Snow  Creek  in 
Iredell  county,  North  Carolina.  They  joined  the  Meth- 
odists before  leaving  Virginia,  and  when  they  reached 
their  new  home  they  opened  it  for  preaching.  For  some 
years  it  appeared  among  the  preaching  appointments  as 
Claywell's.  A  church  was  built  later,  and  called  Snow 
Creek.  During  this  year  one  of  the  preachers  received 
about  fifty  members  in  going  once  round  the  Yadkin  Cir- 
cuit. 

In  1803  James  Patterson  traveled  the  Salisbury  Circuit. 

^ee's  "Short  History  of  the  Methodists,"  page  284. 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  267 

For  several  years  he  kept  a  diary,  which  at  least  shows  the 
extent  of  the  circuit.  He  entered  the  circuit  on  the  26th 
of  August,  1802,  going  from  Guilford  county  to  Mr. 
Philip  Howard's  in  Surry  county ;  rested  on  the  27th,  and 
went  to  his  circuit  the  next  day.  "On  Saturday,  28th,  I 
rode  to  the  quarterly  meeting  at  "Whitaker's  meetinghouse, 
Rowan  county,  Salisbury  Circuit."  "August  31st,  I 
preached  at  Captain  Matthew  Markland's,  Stokes  county, 
to  a  very  cold  congregation." 

September  1st,  he  was  at  McKnight's  meetinghouse, 
near  Clemmonsville.  September  2d,  "Preached  at  Henry 
Steel's  to  a  tolerably  large  congregation."  September 
3d,  "Crossed  the  Yadkin  River  at  the  Shallow  Ford  and 
preached  at  William  Howard's  in  Surry  county."  4th, 
"Preached  at  a  schoolhouse  with  some  power."  5th, 
"Preached  at  Whitaker's  meetinghouse."  6th,  "Rode 
eight  miles  to  Beal's  meetinghouse.  After  preaching  I 
rode  to  brother  John  MeMahan's."  7th,  "Rode  to  George 
Gentle's,  and  preached  there  on  the  8th,"  but  he  says  he 
"felt  the  want  of  liberty."  9th,  "After  marrying  James 
Douthet  and  Susannah  Howard,  I  rode  to  brother  Hardy 
Jones's  (Rowan  county)  and  preached  to  a  small  number." 
10th,  "Rode  to  Mr.  Chapman's,  about  twenty-eight  miles." 
nth,  "Preached  at  a  bridge  about  a  mile  from  his  house 
on  the  Salisbury  road  to  a  tolerably  large  congregation." 
12th,  "Preached  at  Pool's  meetinghouse  to  a  cold  congre- 
gation." 13th,  "Preached  at  Hearne's  meetinghouse  in 
Cabarrus  county."  14th,  "Preached  at  Jacob  Carter's, 
Montgomery  county,  to  a  tolerably  large  congregation." 
15th,     "Preached     at    Taylor's    meetinghouse."       16th, 


268  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

"Preached  at  Hancock's  meetinghouse  [now  Macedonia, 
near  Eldorado]."  17th,  "Rode  eight  miles  and  preached 
at  Benjamin  Bell's  on  Uwharrie  River."  18th,  "Preached 
at  Hancock's  meetinghouse."  19th,  "Preached  at  Reeves's 
meetinghouse  to  a  large  congregation."  20th  (Randolph 
county),  "Preached  at  brother  William  Monett's  to  a 
pretty  large  number  of  people."  21st,  "Preached  in  an 
old  house  to  a  small  congregation."  22d,  "Preached 
at  brother  Twoney's  to  a  hard-hearted  congregation." 
23d,  "Rode  twelve  miles  to  Russell's  meetinghouse  in 
Randolph  county."  24th,  "Rode  seven  miles  to  Jones's 
meetinghouse."  25th,  "To  Plumber's  meetinghouse." 
26th,  "Sunday,  rode  ten  miles  and  preached  at  Feel's 
meetinghouse  to  a  small  congregation."  27th,  "Rode  to 
Captain  Matthew  Markland's,  about  twenty-two  miles 
[Stokes  county]."1 

The  Salisbury  Circuit,  in  1803,  embraced  a  territory 
extending  from  near  Troy  in  Montgomery  county  to  what 
is  now  Yadkin  county.  James  Patterson  had  appoint- 
ments in  Stokes,  Forsythe,  Yadkin,  Rowan,  Davidson, 
Cabarrus,  Stanly,  Montgomery,  and  Randolph.  He  trav- 
eled and  preached  almost  every  day  in  the  week.  By 
glancing  over  this  territory  at  present,  the  reader  will  see 
what  progress  has  been  made. 

James  Patterson  says :  "I  began  to  travel  as  an  itinerant 
preacher,  by  the  direction  of  Reuben  Ellis,  on  the  16th 
day  of  November,  1793,  and  continued  thus  to  travel  until 
the  beginning  of  the  year  1795,  at  which  time  I  was  ad- 

^iary  of  James  Patterson.  It  is  quite  meager,  but  is  of  some 
value  in  showing  circuit  boundaries,  and  locating  churches,  etc. 


Development  in  the  Yadkin  Valley.  269 

mitted  on  trial,  in  the  twentieth  year  of  my  age,  at  Con- 
ference held  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina ;  was  ordained 
deacon  the  eighth  of  January,  1797,  and  ordained  elder  on 
the  fourth  day  of  January,  1799;  was  about  fifteen  years 
old  when  I  joined  the  Methodist  Church.  I  was  born  the 
23d  day  of  January,  1773,  near  Orangeburg,  South  Caro- 
lina."1 At  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1858,  he  was  the 
oldest  member  of  the  North  Carolina  Conference.  He 
was  for  many  years  on  the  superannuate  list,  and  resided 
on  his  farm  near  Olin,  Iredell  county.  Dr.  J.  E.  Edwards 
says :  "James  Patterson  possessed  fine  native  ability,  was 
an  able  preacher,  and  did  good  work  in  the  itinerant  min- 
istry."2 

In  1 801  one  of  the  pioneer  preachers  died  in  Wilkes 
county,  on  October  the  sixth.  John  Lee,  the  brother  of 
Jesse  Lee,  was  traveling  in  Virginia  and  western  North 
Carolina,  trying  to  improve  his  declining  health.  He 
spent  some  time  with  James  Parks  and  Thomas  Moss, 
with  whom  he  was  acquainted.  He  rode  up  to  the  widow 
Brown's  who  lived  in  the  eastern  part  of  Wilkes  county, 
on  or  near  the  road  leading  from  Hamptonville  to  Wilkes- 
boro.  He  reached  there  in  the  afternoon,  and  soon  told 
them  that  he  should  die  there  that  night,  to  their  great 
surprise.  He  then  turned  over  some  valuable  papers  to 
his  servant  and  gave  him  directions  how  to  get  home,  etc.3 

'In  reply  to  a  question  asked  by  the  editor  of  the  North  Carolina 
Christian  Advocate  in  1856,  Mr.  Patterson  gave  the  above  memo- 
randum. This  is  fortunate,  as  there  was  no  memoir  prepared  for 
the  minutes. 

2Virginia  Conference  Journal  for  1882. 

""Life  of  John  Lee,"  by  his  brother,  Jesse  Lee,  1805,  page  173.  A 
very  rare  book. 


270  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

He  told  him,  "After  I  am  dead  go  down  and  get  brother 
Moss  and  brother  Parks  to  come  up  and  bury  me."  After 
engaging  in  prayer  a  time  or  two,  and  directing  that  his 
love  be  sent  to  loved  ones  at  home,  he  died  in  great  peace. 
The  brother  Parks  mentioned  was  the  Rev.  James 
Parks,  who  traveled  from  1788  to  1795,  and  who  was  liv- 
ing at  Buck  Shoals.  The  brother  Moss  mentioned  above 
lived  about  two  and  a  half  miles  from  Buck  Shoals,  and 
near  the  road  leading  from  Hamptonville  to  Statesville, 
via  Eagle  Mills.  They  secured  the  remains  of  John  Lee 
and  buried  them  on  a  hill  near  Thomas  Moss's  house.  The 
spot  is  about  one  mile  from  where  one  of  the  Salisbury 
roads,  leading  to  Wilkesboro,  crosses  the  road  above  men- 
tioned. In  1844  Stephen  Denny  identified  the  grave,  and 
Rev.  James  L.  Nicholson,  who  was  on  the  Jonesville  Cir- 
cuit, and  Rev.  T.  A.  Nicholson  erected  a  stone  wall  three 
by  eight  feet,  and  two  feet  high,  over  the  spot.1  That  so 
few  of  these  early  pioneers'  graves  can  be  identified  is  our 
excuse  for  giving  so  much  space  to  the  grave  of  John 
Lee.  Their  last  resting  places  should  be  sacred  to  us,  be- 
cause these  heroes  blazed  out  the  way  and  made  possible 
what  we  enjoy  to-day. 

1A  few  years  ago  the  author,  in  company  with  Rev.  H.  M.  Blair, 
stood  by  this  lonely  itinerant's  grave,  and  gave  his  name  and  date 
of  his  death  to  a  man  in  the  community  who  said  the  grave  should 
be  properly  marked. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

WEST  OF   THE    CATAWBA   IN  THE   EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY. 

Boundaries  of  the  Yadkin.  R.  J.  Miller.  Emigrants  from  Bruns- 
wick— Incident  on  the  Way.  Old  Whitehaven.  Enoch  George 
Comes  to  Help  form  a  Circuit — Greatly  Discouraged — Bishop  As- 
bury  Writes  Him  a  Letter.  Rehoboth  Church  Erected — First 
Built  West  of  the  Catawba.  The  Hard  Fare  of  the  Preachers. 
Daniel  Asbury  Before  a  Justice  of  the  Peace — Daniel  Asbury's 
Labors — His  Last  Letter  to  the  Conference.  Jesse  Richardson — 
Incidents  of  Great  Sufferings  and  Hardships.  Opposition  to  the 
Methodists.  The  Pioneers  Adapted  to  Their  Work.  Revival  in 
the  Woods.     The  Mills  Family. 

Methodism  was  probably  introduced  into  this  section  as 
early  as  1780,  for  we  have  good  reasons  to  believe  that 
the  Yadkin  Circuit  at  this  time  embraced  the  entire  terri- 
tory from  the  head  waters  of  the  Dan  and  Uwharrie 
rivers  westward  to  the  French  Broad  and  Nollichucky. 
But  while  this  circuit  was  made  to  embrace  all  this  terri- 
tory, we  know  that  Andrew  Yeargan,  or  his  successors  on 
this  circuit,  could  not  have  cultivated  this  vast  field.  So 
there  was  very  little  organizing,  if  any,  west  of  the  Ca- 
tawba before  1787.  R.  J.  Miller  had  been  sent  in  1786 
as  a  missionary  to  occupy  this  territory  and  to  form  a  cir- 
cuit in  the  county  of  Lincoln  ;  but  coming  into  this  section, 
he  found  a  large  settlement  of  Germans,  and  he  began  to 
act  as  their  pastor  and  did  no  work  as  a  Methodist. 

In  1787  a  number  of  Methodists  moved  from  the 
Brunswick  Circuit  in  Virginia  and  settled  in  Lincoln 
county  near  the  Catawba  River.     The  late  Rev.  M.  V. 

(271) 


272  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Sherrill  said :  "Their  names,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to 
get  them,  were  Herbert  Harwell,  Samuel  Harwell,  John 
Edwards,  John  Turbefield,  Benjamin  Stacy,  John  Aber- 
nathy,  John  Mayhew,  and  Aaron  Mayhew.  These  all  set- 
tled in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  Rehoboth  Church."  The 
widow  Morris  and  her  daughter,  Nancy  L.  Morris,  and 
her  married  daughter,  Rebecca,  and  her  husband,  Wil- 
liams Mays,  first  settled  near  the  Vesuvius  Iron  Works, 
but  they  soon  removed  to  the  Rehoboth  neighborhood. 

"As  they  journeyed  to  a  new  home,  in  the  spirit  of  true 
pilgrims,  they  were  not  unmindful  of  a  better  country, 
that  is,  a  heavenly.  Morning  and  evening  the  incense  of 
prayer  and  praise  ascended  to  God  from  the  altar  of  their 
devotions ;  and  occasionally  an  experience  meeting,  or  love 
feast,  was  held  by  night  in  their  camp.  Such  a  meeting 
chanced  to  be  held  by  them  on  the  banks  of  the  Roanoke 
River,  when  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  visit  and  bless  this  pious 
band  in  a  manner  so  remarkable  that  the  deep  forest  was 
made  vocal  with  their  triumphant  songs  of  joy,  crying, 
'Glory  to  God  in  the  highest !'  A  planter  of  intelligence 
and  wealth,  attracted  by  the  sound,  came  with  his  servants 
to  investigate  the  unwonted  scene.  'Friends,'  said  he, 
'this  is  indeed  a  strange  proceeding;  what  is  the  meaning 
of  all  this?'  John  Turbefield,  for  the  rest,  answered  in 
the  spirit  of  meekness  and  love:  'Sir,  we  are  all  professors 
of  religion,  members  of  the  Methodist  Church,  journeying 
to  a  new  home ;  we  have  been  engaged  in  our  accustomed 
devotions ;  the  King  has  come  into  our  camp,  and  we  have 
been  made  very  happy — glory  be  to  God !'  The  planter 
was  overwhelmed  bv  a  divine  influence ;  conviction  seized 


West  of  the  Catau'ba.  273 

his  mind,  and  a  genuine  conversion  crowned  his  investiga- 
tion of  this  experience  meeting  in  the  forest — the  first  he 
had  ever  witnessed  among  the  Methodists.  Settled  in 
their  new  home,  they  were  without  a  preacher  until  the 
fall  of  1788,  when  they  were  visited  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Brown,  a  young  local  preacher,  who  came  out  also  from 
Virginia  to  inspect  the  country  with  a  view  to  ultimate 
removal.  On  application,  liberty  was  readily  granted  him 
by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Miller  to  preach  to  the  people  in  the  Old 
Whitehaven  Church.  He  spoke  with  great  zeal  and 
fervor;  his  words  were  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and 
in  power;  the  Methodists  felt  the  obligation  to  hold  their 
peace  and  disguise  their  joyous  emotions ;  but  the  widow 
Morris  indulged  in  a  shout  on  the  occasion  that  would 
have  done  credit  to  one  of  George  Shadford's  revival 
meetings  on  the  old  Brunswick  Circuit  in  Virginia.  The 
congregation  were  panic-stricken;  the  old  German  la- 
dies pressed  their  way  to  Nancy  L.  Morris,  the  widow's 
daughter,  and  exclaimed  in  the  utmost  fright,  'Your 
mother  has  a  fit,  indeed  she  has ;  and  she  is  going  to  die !' 
The  daughter,  not  at  all  alarmed,  answered  with  surpris- 
ing calmness,  'She  will  soon  recover  from  them.'  " 

This  Nancy  L.  Morris  subsequently  became  the  wife 
of  Daniel  Asbury,  who,  with  the  assistance  of  John  Mc- 
Gee  in  1 789,  and  with  Jesse  Richardson  in  1 790,  was  sent 
to  form  the  Lincoln  Circuit.  "This  circuit  was  made  to 
embrace  not  only  Lincoln,  but  also  Rutherford  and  Burke, 
with  portions  of  Mecklenburg  and  Cabarrus  counties  in 
North  Carolina  and  York  District  in  South  Carolina,  and 
that  part  of  Spartanburg  and  Union  districts  which  lies 
18 


274  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

north  of  the  Pacolet  River.  It  took  the  name  of  Union 
Circuit  in  1793,  which  was  retained  until  1805,  when  it 
was  again  called  Lincoln."1 

When  Daniel  Asbury  and  John  McGee  entered  upon  the 
work  of  forming  the  Lincoln  Circuit  in  1789,  they  went 
no  doubt  first  to  this  colony  of  Methodists  from  Virginia, 
referred  to  in  another  paragraph,  who  settled  here  two 
years  before.  After  Daniel  Asbury  married  he  settled  in 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  church,2  where  his  family  re- 
mained until  his  death  in  1825.  For  two  years  they  wor- 
shiped in  the  grove  or  in  private  houses.  But  in  1791  they 
erected  a  building  which  was  the  first  Methodist  church  in 
the  state  west  of  the  Catawba.  It  was  a  small  log  house, 
with  a  shed  on  one  side  for  the  colored  people.3  The  pres- 
ent building  is  the  third  erected  at  that  place.  It  was 
erected  in  1891,  just  one  hundred  years  after  the  first  one 
was  built. 

At  any  rate,  this  was  in  the  territory  that  Daniel  As- 
bury went  to  form  into  a  circuit.  About  this  time  (during 
1789)  there  was  "a  beardless  youth,"  Enoch  George,  as- 
sisting Rev.  Philip  Cox  on  a  circuit  in  Virginia.  When 
Bishop  Asbury  came  around  Mr.  Cox  said  to  the  bishop, 
"I  have  brought  you  a  boy,  and  if  you  have  anything  for 
him  to  do,  you  may  set  him  to  work."  The  bishop  looked 
at  him  earnestly  for  some  time,  but  said  little.  The  next 
day,  however,  he  told  the  boy  that  he  would  accept  his 


'Shipp's  "History  of  Methodism  in  South  Carolina,"  page  261. 
2Rev.  M.  V.  Sherrill,  Manuscript. 

3Here  in  this  house  Rev.  M.  V.  Sherrill  was  baptized  and  attended 
Sunday  school. 


West  of  the  Catazvba.  275 

services.  He  then  told  him  he  might  proceed  to  the  head 
of  the  Catawba  River  and  report  himself  to  Daniel  As- 
bury,  who  was  forming  a  new  circuit."  George  imme- 
diately started  on  his  journey.  The  distance  was  three 
hundred  miles,  over  a  rough  road,  and  through  a  strange 
country.  As  he  journeyed  on  from  day  to  day,  he  was 
subjected  to  many  annoyances.  People  would  ask  him  his 
name,  residence,  destination,  and  the  object  of  his  journey. 
He  could  get  along  tolerably  well  with  all  but  the  last 
question.  "To  inform  those  careless  people,"  says  he, 
"that  I  was  a  preacher,  a  Methodist  preacher,  a  heretic 
and  deceiver  in  their  eyes,  was  to  call  forth  frowns  and 
persecution."  When  he  arrived  at  the  end  of  his  journey 
he  rested  a  few  days,  and  then  commenced  his  "regular 
round  on  the  new-formed  circuit,  which  embraced  a  vast 
tract  of  country  and  some  of  the  most  stupendous  moun- 
tains in  North  America."  He  soon  found  that  he  had  no 
easy  place.  "He  had  to  climb  mountains,  descend  valleys, 
swim  rivers,  wade  through  mud,  and  find  his  way  through 
pathless  forests.  He  had  to  preach  to  a  people  confirmed 
in  the  principles  of  Calvinism,  the  very  hardest  cases  in  the 
whole  catalogue  of  sinners."1  He  was  far  away  from 
home,  had  no  money,  and  his  clothes  were  worn  out.  He 
had  to  preach  for  nothing.  In  this  section,  at  that  time, 
to  pay  a  Methodist  preacher  was  never  once  thought  of. 
This  mountainous  country  under  all  the  circumstances  dis- 
couraged him,  and  he  resolved  to  abandon  his  work  if  he 

Tor  a  full  description  of  the  experiences  of  Enoch  George,  see 
his  Autobiography,  Methodist  Magazine,  Vol.  XII.,  pages  14,  15. 
"Asbury  and  His  Colaborers,"  Larabee,  Vol.  II.,  page  243. 


276  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

could  not  get  another  circuit.  He  wrote  to  Bishop  As- 
bury  describing  the  difficulties  under  which  he  labored, 
and  requested  to  be  moved  to  some  other  circuit. 

Doubtless  he  would  have  gone  back  to  his  old  Virginia 
home,  but  how  was  he  to  get  home?  He  had  worn  out 
his  clothes  and  used  up  his  money.  He  finally  decided  to 
engage  in  teaching  school  for  a  few  months  to  get  money 
enough  to  carry  him  home.  But  before  beginning  his 
school  he  met  his  colleague,  Rev.  Daniel  Asbury,  who  pro- 
nounced a  general  anathema  upon  the  whole  concern.  He 
notified  the  friend  to  whom  George  had  intrusted  the  busi- 
ness of  the  school  on  the  peril  of  his  salvation  not  to  en- 
curage  or  aid,  in  any  way,  his  leaving  the  circuit  and  re- 
tiring from  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry.  "Mr.  As- 
bury, it  seems,  placed  a  much  higher  value  on  the  talents 
and  services  of  George  than  he  himself,  in  his  despond- 
ency, could  entertain.  The  project  of  the  school  there- 
fore being  defeated,  George  gathered  up  his  energies,  and 
climbed  on  the  rugged  way  over  the  mountains  to  useful- 
ness and  to  eminence." 

In  the  meantime  he  received  a  letter  from  Bishop  As- 
bury, saying,  "It  was  good  for  him  and  others  to  bear  the 
yoke  in  their  youth ;  that  itinerant  labors  must  be  hard  if 
properly  performed ;  and  that  it  was  better  to  become  in- 
ured to  poverty  and  pain,  hunger  and  cold,  in  the  days  of 
his  youth,  that  when  he  was  old  and  gray-headed  the  task 
would  be  easy."  This  advice  he  followed  to  the  letter  and 
continued  on  his  rough  circuit,  in  the  midst  of  hard  rides 
and  poor  fare,  to  "preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
Christ."    "Enoch  George  ever  after  remembered  the  senti- 


West  of  the  Catawba.  277 

ment  of  Bishop  Asbury,  'Itinerant  labors  must  be  hard  if 
properly  performed."1 

In  1790  the  Lincoln  Circuit  appears  in  the  list  of  ap- 
pointments, with  Daniel  Asbury  and  Jesse  Richardson  as 
pastors.  The  circuit  had  been  formed,  but  not  without 
enduring  many  hardships  and  much  persecution.  It  re- 
quired heroes  for  such  undertakings.  Enoch  George  came 
near  surrendering,  but  Daniel  Asbury  knew  something  of 
this  frontier  work,  and  was  well  adapted  for  the  work  of  a 
pioneer.  He  had  already  traveled  the  French  Broad,  in  a 
region  that  was  semi-barbarous.  The  population  was 
scattered  along  the  streams  and  in  the  mountain  coves.  It 
is  hard  for  us  in  this  age  of  Methodism  to  realize  the  hard- 
ships to  be  endured  at  that  day  by  a  Methodist  minister. 
One  has  said  he  was  often  forced  "to  subsist  solely  on  cu- 
cumbers, or  a  piece  of  cold  bread,  without  the  luxury  of  a 
bowl  of  milk  or  a  cup  of  coffee.  His  ordinary  diet  was 
fried  bacon  and  corn  bread ;  his  bed  not  the  swinging  ham- 
mock, but  the  clapboard  laid  on  poles  supported  by  rude 
forks  driven  into  the  earthen  floor  of  a  log  cabin." 

Many  of  the  inhabitants  regarded  the  Methodist 
preacher  as  an  intruder  in  this  land  of  theirs.  He  met 
hostility  on  every  hand.  Sometimes  the  persecution  was 
very  bitter.  But  such  leaders  as  Dr.  Coke,  Francis  As- 
bury, Jesse  Lee,  Philip  Bruce,  Daniel  Asbury,  and  others, 
led  the  gathering  forces  forward  to  a  glorious  conquest. 
An  incident  which  occurred  in  Rutherford  county  in  1789 
will  show  something  of  the  opposition  and  persecution  met 

'"Heroes  of  Methodism,"  Wakely,  page  145. 


278  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

by  the  Methodist  preacher.  "A  ruffian  band,  headed  by- 
one  Perminter  Morgan,  a  Baptist  preacher,  seized  Daniel 
Asbury  and  hurried  him  to  trial  before  Jonathan  Hamp- 
ton, a  worthy  justice  of  the  peace  and  a  gentleman  of  in- 
telligence. 'What  crime  has  been  committed  by  Mr.  As- 
bury,' said  the  just  and  prudent  magistrate,  'that  you  have 
thus  arrested  him  and  brought  him  in  the  presence  of  an 
officer  of  the  law?'  'He  is  going  about  everywhere 
through  the  country  preaching  the  gospel,  and  has  no  au- 
thority whatever  to  do  so,'  responded  Mr.  Morgan  for  the 
rest.  'We  believe  he  is  nothing  but  an  impostor,  and  we 
have  brought  him  before  you  that  you  may  do  something 
with  him,  and  forbid  him  to  preach  any  more  in  future.' 
'Why,  does  he  make  the  people  who  go  to  hear  him  preach 
any  worse  than  they  were  before  ?'  further  asked  the  mag- 
istrate. 'We  do  not  know  that  he  does,'  answered  Mr. 
Morgan,  'but  he  ought  not  to  preach.'  'Well/  said  the 
magistrate,  'if  he  makes  the  people  no  worse,  the  proba- 
bility is  he  makes  them  better;  so  I  will  release  him  and 
let  him  try  it  again.'  "  Asbury  no  doubt  left  the  court  re- 
joicing that  he  could  suffer  persecutions  also  for  Christ's 
sake.  He  asked  the  Conference  for  a  location  in  1791, 
which  was  granted ;  but  he  continued  to  labor,  as  circum- 
stances would  permit,  with  great  zeal  and  usefulness.  In 
1 80 1  he  was  appointed  to  the  Yadkin  Circuit,  where  he 
labored  for  two  years  with  great  acceptability. 

Daniel  Asbury,  who  had  the  same  name  of  the  bishop 
though  no  kin,  was  born  in  Fairfax  county,  Virginia,  on 
February  18th,  1762.  He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 
pioneer  preachers  in  western  North  Carolina.     He  had 


West  of  the  Catawba.  279 

just  the  kind  of  training  that  fitted  him  for  the  work  of  a 
pioneer.  In  early  life  he  had  been  captured  by  the  Indians, 
and  had  spent  some  years  in  captivity,  enduring-  great 
hardships.  This  was  a  necessary  part  of  an  education  for 
an  itinerant  life.  He  was  admitted  into  the  traveling  con- 
nection in  1786,  and  appointed  to  the  Amelia  Circuit; 
1787,  Halifax;  1788,  French  Broad;  1803,  Union  Circuit; 
1804,  Enoree  Circuit;  1805  he  spent  chiefly  at  home;  from 
1806  to  1810,  presiding  elder  on  the  Swannanoa  District; 
from  1810  to  1814,  on  the  Camden  District;  from  1814  to 
1 8 18,  on  the  Catawba  District;  from  18 18  to  1822,  on  the 
Broad  River  District;  in  1822  and  1823,  he  traveled  the 
Lincoln  Circuit;  and  in  1824,  the  Sugar  Creek  Circuit. 

"His  advanced  age  and  increasing  infirmities  now  ren- 
dered him  incapable  of  effective  service,  and  he  took  a 
superannuated  relation.  But  it  was  not  long  before  the 
Master  whom  he  had  served  so  long  and  so  faithfully 
called  him  to  his  reward.  On  Sunday  morning,  April 
15th,  1825,  he  arose,  apparently  more  vigorous  and  cheer- 
ful than  usual.  He  conversed  on  various  subjects,  and 
noted  down  a  passage  of  Scripture  on  which  he  intended 
to  preach  a  funeral  sermon.  But  the  moment  for  his 
ascension  had  now  nearly  come.  The  silver  cord  was 
loosened  so  gently  that  the  transition  from  earth  to  heaven 
was  made  apparently  without  a  pang.  He  was  walking 
through  his  yard,  when  suddenly  he  stopped,  looked  up  to 
heaven,  and,  with  an  unearthly  smile,  uttered  indistinctly 
a  few  words,  and  then  fell  breathless  on  the  ground.  It 
was  on  the  Sabbath,  a  fitting  time  for  an  old  pilgrim  to 
enter  his  Father's  house  above.    It  was  somewhat  remark- 


280  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

able  that  he  was  born  on  the  Sabbath,  carried  off  by  the 
Indians  on  the  Sabbath,  returned  to  his  father's  house  on 
the  Sabbath,  was  converted  on  the  Sabbath,  and  on  the 
Sabbath  went  to  his  eternal  rest."1 

His  last  letter,  written  to  the  Conference  in  Fayetteville, 
is  most  pathetic,  and  at  the  same  time  shows  the  spirit  of 
the  true  itinerant,  as  well  as  the  spirit  of  heroism.  It  is 
an  inspiration  to  every  itinerant  preacher.    Here  it  is : 

December  28th,  1824. 
My  Dear  Brethren:  These  lines  will  inform  you  that  I  feel  no 
abatement  in  my  spirit  and  love  toward  you  or  the  Church  of  God 
in  which  we  have  been  united  many  years.  You  are  the  people, 
under  God,  who  sought  and  found  me,  when  I  was  in  the  path  of 
ruin.  You  bore  with  my  weakness  and  ignorance,  and  gave  me  a 
place  among  you ;  you  nursed  me  as  parents.  I  should  be  glad 
to  be  with  you  in  Conference,  and  more  so  as  I  was  not  with  you 
last  year.  I  have  tried  to  do  the  best  I  could  this  year.  I  have 
attended  my  appointments,  but  many  times  not  able  to  preach  much. 
The  reason  I  think  it  not  prudent  to  attend  Conference  is,  since 
winter  set  in  I  have  been  much  afflicted  with  a  shortness  of  breath 
which  is  very  distressing  in  cold  weather,  therefore  myself  and 
friends  think  I  had  better  take  some  rest;  and  if  my  brethren  will 
be  so  kind  as  to  grant  me  a  superannuated  relation  with  you  one 
year,  and  perhaps  one  year  may  determine  one  way  or  the  other. 
And  if  you,  my  brethren,  in  your  wisdom,  should  think  best  not  to 
superannuate  me,  you  may  dispose  of  me  as  the  Lord  directs.  I 
think  there  is  room  in  the  Catawba  District  for  a  missionary. 

Daniel  Asbury. 

John  McGee  who  went  with  Daniel  Asbury  in  1789  to 
assist  in  forming  the  Lincoln  Circuit  will  be  noticed  in 
another  chapter.  Jesse  Richardson,  who  was  Asbury's 
colleague  on  the  new  circuit,  entered  the  traveling  connec- 
tion in  1788,  and  was  appointed  to  the  Greenbrier  Circuit 


'Sprague's  Annals,  Vol.  VII,  page  128. 


West  of  the  Catawba.  281 

in  Virginia;  1789,  New  River;  1791,  Yadkin;  1792, 
Cherokee;  1793,  Georgetown ;  after  which  he  located.  He 
was  a  good  preacher,  well  prepared  for  the  class  of  work 
he  had  to  do,  and  above  all  he  was  very  successful  in  win- 
ning souls  to  Christ. 

Dr.  A.  M.  Shipp  is  authority  for  the  following  inci- 
dents : 

"While  traveling  the  Lincoln  Circuit,  he  [Richardson] 
filled,  on  one  occasion,  his  appointment  for  preaching  on  an 
exceedingly  cold  day,  and  afterwards  rode  through  snow, 
which  had  fallen  to  the  depth  of  eighteen  inches,  till  about 
sunset,  in  order  to  reach,  on  the  way  to  his  next  appoint- 
ment, the  only  house  where  he  could  hope  to  find  shelter 
before  the  darkness  of  night  should  overtake  him.  When 
he  arrived  at  the  place,  he  hailed  the  proprietor  and  po- 
litely asked  the  privilege  of  spending  the  night  with  him. 
'No,  you  cannot  stay,'  responded  he,  promptly  and  gruffly. 
'You  are  one  of  these  lazy  Methodist  preachers,  going 
about  everywhere  through  the  country,  who  ought  to  be 
engaged  in  honest  work.'  Mr.  Richardson  maintained 
his  self-possession,  and  did  not  wholly  despair  of  final  ac- 
commodation, notwithstanding  this  rude  and  insulting  re- 
jection at  the  first.  He  thought  the  man  must  have  some 
natural  feelings  of  sympathy  for  the  suffering  which  pa- 
tient management  and  tact  might  evoke.  His  case,  more- 
over, was  one  of  the  most  pressing  necessity.  He  there- 
fore, after  a  little,  renewed  his  request,  setting  forth  at 
the  same  time  such  consideiations  as  he  thought  must 
move  the  hardest  heart,  and  concluding  with  an  offer  to 
reward  him  liberally  for  all  the  trouble  and  expense  that 


282  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

might  be  incurred  by  allowing  him  to  pass  the  night  under 
his  roof.  'No,'  again  responded  the  unfeeling  man  in 
ruffian  tones,  'you  shall  not  pass  the  threshold  of  my  house 
this  night' ;  and  quickly  entering,  slammed  the  door  in  the 
face  of  the  man  of  God  shivering  in  the  cold.  As  the  next 
house  was  twelve  miles  distant,  and  a  high  mountain  in- 
tervened over  which  no  open  road  conducted,  but  only  a 
narrow  path,  now  hidden  by  the  snow  which  was  begin- 
ning to  fall  afresh,  Mr.  Richardson  had  no  alternative  left 
him  but  to  stay  or  freeze  to  death  by  the  way;  he  there- 
fore deliberately  dismounted,  tied  his  horse  to  the  stake, 
and  sat  down  on  the  door  sill  of  the  house.  At  length  he 
began  to  sing  one  of  the  songs  of  Zion ;  the  proprietor  lis- 
tened in  profound  silence,  his  savage  nature  began  to  grow 
tame,  his  heart  softened,  and  he  showed  a  disposition  to 
engage  in  conversation.  'You  seem  to  be  quite  merry,' 
said  he,  'and  you  must  be  very  cold,  too ;  would  you  not 
like  to  have  a  little  fire?'  'Thank  you,'  said  the  preacher; 
'it  is  of  all  things  what  I  most  want  just  now,  for  I  am 
indeed  very  cold.'  The  fire  was  brought;  the  yard  con- 
tained a  plentiful  supply  of  wood,  and  soon  there  was  a 
conflagration  that  made  Boreas  fairly  tremble  on  his  icy 
throne.  This  brought  out  the  man  of  the  house.  'What 
are  you  doing  out  there,'  said  he,  'burning  up  all  my 
wood?  Put  out  that  fire  and  come  into  the  house.'  The 
preacher  took  him  at  his  word,  extinguished  the  fire,  and 
entered.  'And  now,'  said  he,  'my  horse  has  had  nothing 
to  eat  since  early  this  morning ;  if  you  will  let  me  put  him 
in  the  stable  and  feed  him,  you  shall  be  well  paid  for  it.' 
With  this  request  he  obstinately  refused  to  comply,  with- 


West  of  the  Catawba.  283 

holding  food  from  man  and  beast,  as  he  also  forbade  the 
offering  of  prayer  for  the  family  before  retiring.  The 
family  slept  in  their  beds,  and  the  preacher,  wrapped  in 
his  overcoat,  lay  down  to  rest  as  best  he  could  before  the 
fire.  The  next  morning  at  early  dawn,  hungry  and  cold, 
he  threaded  the  uncertain  pathway  over  the  mountain  to 
seek  refreshment  at  the  twelve-mile  house. 

"On  one  occasion  Mr.  Richardson  lost  his  horse.  The 
spirited  animal,  from  a  feeling  of  resentment  for  the  sup- 
posed neglect  of  his  owner  in  leaving  him  bound  to  a  stake 
all  night  without  food  in  a  snowstorm,  or  from  some  oth- 
er motive  quite  satisfactory  to  himself,  made  his  escape 
from  the  stable  and  ran  away.  Mr.  Richardson,  going  in 
search  of  him,  passed  by  where  two  men  were  clearing 
land.  Being  wearied  by  his  journey,  he  sat  down  on  a  log 
to  rest  and  to  make  inquiry  of  the  men  concerning  the 
route  his  horse  might  have  taken.  One  of  them  abused 
him  with  great  bitterness  of  speech,  threatened  to  kill  him, 
and  with  clenched  fists  struck  him  with  such  violence  as  to 
cause  him  to  fall  from  his  seat ;  and  he  was  perhaps  saved 
from  death  only  by  the  intervention  of  the  other  man. 
Having  found  his  horse,  it  was  necessary  for  him,  the 
next  day,  to  pass  by  the  house  of  the  man  who  had  as- 
saulted him  with  such  violence.  The  man's  wife  hailed 
him  and  requested  him  to  stop  and  come  in.  He  told  her 
that  her  husband  had  abused  him  the  day  before  and 
threatened  to  take  his  life,  and  he  did  not,  therefore,  deem 
it  safe  to  comply  with  her  request.  She  replied,  'My  hus- 
band is  at  home,  and  says  you  must  come  in ;  he  is  very 
anxious  to  see  you ;  there  is  no  cause  for  fear.'    Thus  as- 


284  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

sured,  he  went  in  and  found  the  man  in  the  deepest  mental 
distress,  and  the  tears  streaming  from  his  eyes.  He 
begged  the  preacher  most  importunately  to  pray  for  him ; 
said  he,  'I  feel  that  I  am  a  miserable  and  lost  sinner.' 
After  some  words  of  instruction  and  encouragement,  they 
knelt  down  in  prayer,  and  their  united  petitions  ascended 
to  heaven.  The  man  was  most  earnestly  engaged,  and 
after  a  while  was  powerfully  converted.  He  sprang  to  his 
feet,  threw  his  arms  around  Richardson  with  such  vio- 
lence, being  a  man  of  uncommon  size  and  strength,  that  he 
came  well-nigh  finishing  in  love  the  work  which  the  day 
before  he  began  in  wrath.  He  exchanged  a  noble  horse 
with  Richardson,  and,  taking  another,  went  with  him  to 
eight  of  his  appointments  before  returning  home."1 

These  incidents  show  that  the  moral  and  religious  con- 
dition of  the  country  was  anything  else  but  desirable.  The 
people  were  grossly  ignorant,  and  what  little  religious  be- 
lief they  had  was  of  a  rigid  Calvinistic  form.  Many  of 
them  were  unwilling  to  listen  to  anything  else.  Nothing 
but  a  revival  of  great  spiritual  power  could  ever  attract 
their  attention.  It  was  the  only  hope  of  their  salvation. 
In  1795  they  had  not  improved  much,  for  during  this  year 
Bishop  Asbury  crossed  the  Pacolet  River  in  the  southwest- 
ern boundary  of  the  Lincoln  Circuit,  where  he  makes  this 
entry  in  his  Journal :  "My  body  is  weak,  and  so  is  my  faith 
for  this  part  of  the  vineyard.  God  is  my  portion,  saith  my 
soul.  This  country  improves  in  cultivation,  wickedness, 
mills,  and  stills;  a  prophet  of  strong  drink  would  be  ac- 

^hipp's  "History  of  Methodism  in  South  Carolina,"  page  268. 


West  of  the  Catawba.  285 

ceptable  to  many  of  these  people.  I  believe  the  Methodist 
preachers  keep  clear  both  by  precept  and  example ;  would 
to  God  the  members  did  so  too !  Lord,  have  pity  on  weep- 
ing, bleeding  Zion !" 

The  Lincoln  Circuit,  however,  was  growing  in  numbers, 
for  in  1792  four  hundred  and  fifty-three  whites  and  thirty- 
nine  colored  were  reported.  This  is  a  very  marvelous 
growth  considering  the  opposition  they  met  on  every  hand. 
For  they  were  not  only  opposed  by  sin  and  Satan,  but  by 
many  who  called  themselves  Christians.  This  speaks  vol- 
umes for  the  early  leaders  of  this  movement.  They  were 
not  men  of  great  learning,  but  they  were  peculiarly 
adapted  and  raised  up  under  God  for  this  special  work  to 
which  they  had  been  called. 

Not  only  were  these  men  adapted  for  the  work,  but 
Methodism  was  especially  adapted  to  the  people  of  this 
Southland.  "Hence  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  in  the 
Carolinas  and  Georgia,  the  Methodists  made  much  greater 
progress,  for  many  years,  than  they  did  in  the  more  north- 
ern of  the  original  thirteen  states."1  For  many  years, 
after  the  first  Conference,  nine-tenths  of  all  the  Confer- 
ences met  in  the  South.  In  those  early  days  the  South  gave 
to  Methodism  such  men  as  Jesse  Lee,  Joshua  Wells,  John 
Easter,  William  Watters,  Freeborn  Garrettson,  Edward 
Dromgoole,  Isaac  Smith,  Daniel  Asbury,  William  Mc- 
Kendree,  and  many  others  of  like  character.  So  that, 
notwithstanding  the  hardships  and  continual  oppositions, 
these  leaders  of  Methodism   at  this  time    (1792)    had 

"'Methodism  in  Tennessee,"  McFerrin,  page  132. 


286  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

planted  the  standards  of  Methodism  from  the  Smoky 
Mountains  in  the  west  to  the  Dismal  Swamp  and  seaboard 
in  the  east.  The  reason  Methodism  was  not  planted  in 
this  Catawba  country  earlier  is  due  to  the  fact  that  this 
region  was  just  now  being  settled.  In  1789  it  was  almost 
a  pathless  wilderness.  But  the  fertile  soil  along  these 
meandering  streams  attracted  emigrants,  who  came  and 
began  to  clear  out  the  forest  and  turn  them  into  beautiful 
farms.  The  Catawba,  Cherokee,  and  Creek  Indians  were 
skulking  about  in  the  forest  and  mountain  coves  watching 
the  encroachments  of  the  "pale-face  men."  The  new  set- 
tlers often  carried  the  rifle  ready  to  protect  themselves 
against  the  assault  of  wild  beasts  and  prowling  savages. 

In  this  wild  region  the  Methodist  preacher  hunted  up 
the  hardy  settlers  in  their  forest  homes,  and  proclaimed 
the  gospel  to  groups  of  wondering  hearers.  One  of  these 
zealous  men  appointed  a  woods  meeting,  at  which  the  in- 
habitants gathered  from  miles  around.  A  revival  began, 
and  a  large  number  professed  religion.  Among  the  con- 
verts was  the  young  John  C.  Ballew,  who  entered  the 
traveling  connection  in  1803.  These  revivals  not  only 
added  members  to  the  Methodist  Church,  but  were  a  con- 
stant feeder  to  other  denominations. 

But  among  all  the  early  settlers  who  entertained  the 
preachers,  they  found  few  like  William  Mills  and  his  fam- 
ily. He  settled  in  what  is  now  Rutherford  county  as  early 
as  1766.  Bishop  Asbury  stopped  with  him,  and  it  was  the 
preachers'  home  for  a  number  of  decades.  One  of  his 
daughters  married  a  Methodist  preacher,  Rev.  Samuel 
Edney.    We  have  no  account  that  Mr.  Mills  ever  joined 


West  of  the  Catawba.  287 

the  Church,  but  his  wife  was  a  faithful  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church  for  fifty  years.  They  had  two  sons  and 
five  daughters;  all  joined  the  Methodists,  and  gave  an 
average  of  fifty  years  to  the  service.  The  influence  of  the 
Mills  family  was  felt  throughout  that  section  of  the  state.1 
The  beautiful  Mills  River  and  Mills  Gap  were  named  for 
William  Mills. 

These  faithful  laymen,  who  entertained  these  early 
Methodist  preachers  and  encouraged  them  in  their  work, 
deserve  to  be  fixed  in  our  memories.  In  this  section  of 
the  state  no  one  can  tell  how  much  Methodism  owes  to 
such  men  as  Mills,  Connelly,  Harper,  White,  Moore, 
Davenport,  Fitzgerald,  Henly,  and  many  others.  The 
preachers  could  not  have  done  much  if  it  had  not  been  for 
such  men  as  these,  who  not  only  furnished  the  material 
aid,  but  met  the  class  and  kept  the  work  moving  on  in  the 
absence  of  the  pastor. 

'Bennett's  "Chronology  of  North  Carolina,"  page  21. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

vVEST   OF  THE  BLUE  RIDGE,    1780  TO    1805. 

Methodism  Crossed  the  Blue  Ridge.  Jeremiah  Lambert.  Work  of 
Local  Preachers.  Holston  Circuit  Divided,  and  Nollichucky 
Formed.  Samuel  Edney.  Early  Preaching  Places.  Swannanoa 
Circuit — Methodism  Making  Progress.  Josiah  Askew.  Benja- 
min Mathews.  Thomas  Mann — His  Journal.  Nathan  Jarratt. 
In  1800  Morganton  is  Attached  to  Swannanoa.  Josiah  Philips. 
Moses  Floyd.  James  Jenkins  Passes  Through  the  Swannanoa 
Circuit — Bishop  Asbury  Within  the  Bounds  of  the  Circuit.  At 
Daniel  Killian's.  Joab  Watson.  Bishop  Asbury  Lost  in  the 
Mountains — In  a  Dark  Night  and  Thunderstorm — Finds  a  Moun- 
tain Cabin — New  Preaching  Place — Large  Congregation. 

It  is  thought  by  some  good  authorities  that  the  preachers 
on  the  North  Carolina  Circuit  in  1776  crossed  the  Blue 
Ridge  and  planted  Methodism  in  that  section.  It  is  safe 
to  say  that  at  least  as  early  as  1780  Andrew  Yeargan, 
while  on  the  Yadkin  Circuit,  made  his  way  west  of  the 
Ridge,  and  took  a  large  territory  into  his  circuit.  In  1783 
the  Holston  Circuit  was  formed,  and  Jeremiah  Lambert 
was  appointed  preacher  in  charge.  This  circuit  evidently 
embraced  a  portion  of  North  Carolina.  The  year  before 
(1782)  the  Yadkin  and  Pittsylvania  circuits  were  re- 
ported together,  embracing  all  the  territory  west  of  where 
Winston-Salem  now  is,  and  having  a  membership  of  491. 
In  1783  Yadkin  reported  348,  Pittsylvania  362 ;  and  in  ad- 
dition to  these,  two  new  circuits  were  formed — Salisbury 
with  30  members,  and  Holston  with  60.  The  boundary 
line  between  Yadkin  and  Holston  is  not  known,  but  no 
(288) 


West  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  289 

doubt  Holston  embraced  a  part  of  North  Carolina.  Jere- 
miah Lambert  began  with  sixty  members.  Evidently 
most  of  these  were  taken  in  by  preachers  on  the  Yadkin 
and  Pittsylvania  circuits,  while  no  doubt  some  of  this 
work  was  done  by  faithful  local  preachers.  The  Church 
can  never  pay  its  debt  of  gratitude  to  these  men  of  God 
who  were  all  pioneers  in  the  early  days  of  Methodism. 
Dr.  McAnally,  in  the  "Life  of  William  Pattern,"  says :  "It 
has  been  for  many  years  past  part  of  the  writer's  work  to 
collect  reliable  information  as  to  the  origin  and  progress 
of  the  Church  of  his  choice  in  the  great  western  and  south- 
western sections  of  our  common  country;  and  he  has 
found  that  in  four  cases  out  of  five,  if  not,  indeed,  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten,  where  Methodism  was  first  introduced 
into  a  particular  section  of  any  considerable  extent,  it  was 
through  the  instrumentality  of  local  preachers." 

No  one  at  the  present  time  can  rightly  conceive  of  the 
amount  of  work  they  did,  and  all  without  compensation. 
The  reader  has  noticed  the  great  number  of  locations; 
these  all  went  into  the  local  ranks,  and  most  of  them  con- 
tinued to  preach.  Some  of  them  would  work  at  night  in 
order  to  make  up  the  time  necessary  to  meet  appoint- 
ments in  the  day.  The  Church  may  be  able  to  get  along 
at  this  day  without  local  preachers ;  but  the  local  ministry 
has  been  largely  instrumental  in  making  Methodism  what 
it  is.  These  local  preachers  pioneered  the  way,  felled  the 
trees,  broke  up  the  fallow  ground,  planted  the  seeds,  and 
now  we  are  gathering  their  crop.  On  one  occasion,  in  an 
Annual  Conference,  Bishop  Asbury  said,  "Brethren,  our 
local  preachers  are  the  cream  of  our  Church." 
l9 


Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

This  reference  is  somewhat  a  digression  from  the  thread 
of  our  story.  At  the  close  of  the  year  of  Lambert's  pas- 
torate on  the  Holston  Circuit,  he  reported  seventy-six 
members,  a  gain  of  sixteen.  He  was  followed  on  Holston 
by  such  men  as  Henry  Willis,  1784;  Richard  Swift  and 
Michael  Gilbert,  1785;  Mark  Whitaker  and  Mark  Moore, 
1786;  Jeremiah  Mastin  and  Nathaniel  Moore,  1787.  In 
1787  the  Holston  Circuit  was  divided  into  Holston  and 
Nollichucky  circuits,  and  the  two  formed  a  district,  with 
John  Tunnell  as  presiding  elder. 

Most  of  North  Carolina  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  except 
the  northwestern  corner,  was  in  the  Yadkin  Circuit  until 
the  Lincoln  Circuit  was  established  in  1790,  with  Daniel 
Asbury  and  Jesse  Richardson  as  its  preachers.  The  reader 
is  already  familiar  with  their  work  in  this  mountain  coun- 
try. Under  the  leadership  of  such  pioneers,  the  work 
prospered  so  that  in  1793  the  Lincoln  Circuit  was  divided, 
forming  Union  and  Swannanoa.  Samuel  Edney  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Swannanoa  in  1793,  and  while  on  this  cir- 
cuit he  married  Eleanor  Mills,  who  was  a  daughter  of 
William  Mills.  He  settled  on  Green  River,  in  what  is  now 
Rutherford  county.  After  his  location  in  1796,  he  settled 
in  what  is  now  Henderson  county  at  a  point  afterwards 
called  Edneyville.1  In  this  country  he  wielded  a  wonder- 
ful influence  for  Christ  and  the  Church.  No  man  did  more 
for  Methodism  west  of  the  Ridge  than  Samuel  Edney. 
On  his  land  was  conducted  a  camp  meeting  which  is  said 
to  be  the  first  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge.    His  house  became 

s"Holston  Methodism,"  by  Price,  page  229. 


West  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  291 

the  regular  stopping  place  for  Methodist  preachers. 
Among  the  first  Methodist  preaching  places  in  Buncombe 
were  Beaver  Dam  (Killian's),  Salem  Camp  Ground 
(Weaverville),  Asheville,  and  later  Newton  Academy  in 
the  suburbs  of  Asheville,  and  Turkey  Creek  Camp  Ground. 
Newton  Academy  was  a  classical  school,  and  the  first 
school  of  any  note  in  western  Carolina.  It  was  run  by  the 
Presbyterians.  Rev.  George  Newton  was  the  principal, 
and  he  was  very  friendly  to  the  Methodists,  and  they  fre- 
quently preached  in  the  academy.  Mr.  Newton  was  the 
first  Presbyterian  preacher  to  settle  west  of  the  Blue 
Ridge. 

The  Swannanoa  Circuit  takes  its  name  from  the  beauti- 
ful of  Swannanoa1  River  that  rises  near  the  top  of  Grey 
Beard,  one  of  the  high  peaks  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  flows 
by  Montreat  as  an  ideal  mountain  stream,  continuing  west- 
ward until  it  empties  into  the  French  Broad  near  Ashe- 
ville. It  was  afterwards  called  the  Black  Mountain  Cir- 
cuit. 

During  several  months  in  1794  the  Swannanoa  Circuit 
was  without  a  preacher,  as  one  of  the  preachers  got  mar- 
ried and  the  other  was  sick.  This  being  the  case,  Bishop 
Asbury  found  Philip  Sands,  near  the  headwaters  of  Dan 


'Many  theories  have  been  advanced  as  to  the  origin  and  meaning 
of  the  name  Swannanoa.  Some  say  the  word  in  Cherokee  means 
beautiful,  and  others  say  that  it  is  an  imitation  of  the  sound  made 
by  the  raven's  wings  when  flying  rapidly,  because  of  the  great  num- 
ber which  congregated  on  the  banks  of  this  river  in  the  days  when 
their  country  was  inhabited  by  the  Indians.  But  Mr.  S.  A.  Sondley 
says  that  it  is  more  probable  that  it  was  another  way  of  spelling 
Shawano,  a  name  which  belonged  to  a  family  of  Indians. 


292  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

River  in  Stokes  county,  who  volunteered  to  go  to  the 
Swannanoa  Circuit.  He  was  then  on  the  Guilford  Circuit, 
but  set  out  at  once  for  Swannanoa.  Asbury,  in  speaking 
of  making  this  change,  says :  "Now  because  I  have  power 
to  send  a  preacher  to  these  poor  people,  some  are  pleased 
to  account  me  and  call  me  a  despot."2  Others  had  failed 
to  catch  the  true  spirit  of  the  itinerancy  to  the  same  extent 
Bishop  Asbury  had  realized  it.  The  early  Methodists  had 
the  missionary  spirit  of  going  and  evangelizing. 

It  seems  there  were  early  difficulties  on  the  circuit,  but 
two  years  after  its  formation  it  had  a  membership  of  236. 
And  in  1795  Abner  Henly  and  Leonard  Dyson  were  sent 
to  the  Swannanoa.  Henly  was  admitted  on  trial  in  1791, 
and  gave  two  years  to  the  South  Carolina  Conference ;  the 
remainder  of  his  itinerant  labors  were  devoted  to  North 
Carolina.  He  located  in  1796,  but  was  appointed  to  Salis- 
bury in  1800.  Leonard  Dyson  was  admitted  in  1793,  and 
located  in  1796. 

In  1796  the  circuit  was  blessed  with  men  who  were 
above  the  ordinary,  William  Wilkerson  and  John  Sale. 
The  reader  has  already  been  introduced  to  these  men  in 
another  chapter.  The  circuit  also  had  a  strong  man  as 
presiding  elder,  Rev.  Josiah  Askew.  He  was  admitted  in 
1788  and  located  in  1798.  During  his  itinerancy,  he  trav- 
eled in  North  Carolina,  Virginia,  and  South  Carolina. 
His  first  circuit  was  Halifax ;  the  next,  Salisbury ;  the  next, 
Santee;  the  next,  Bertie;  the  next,  Sussex ;  the  next,  Rich- 
mond and  Manchester;  the  next,  Brunswick.     After  this 


'Asbury' s  Journal,  Vol.  IT.,  page  225. 


West  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  293 

he  was  presiding  elder  until  he  located.  In  1795  he  was 
appointed  presiding  elder  of  a  district  embracing  the 
Swannanoa  Circuit.  He  was  born  in  Burke  county,  North 
Carolina.  He  was  a  young  man  of  ability.  Travis,  in 
speaking  of  him,  says :  "His  praise  was  in  all  the  churches, 
where  he  was  known  as  a  gifted  preacher,  a  zealous,  hum- 
ble, and  holy  Christian,  doing  much  good  wherever  he 
labored."1 

"The  Askews  on  Spring  Creek,  Buncombe  (now  Mad- 
ison) county,  North  Carolina,  were  relatives  of  his.  Of 
these  the  Rev.  James  Askew  was  for  a  long  while  a  local 
preacher,  was  a  man  of  great  piety,  and  was  above 
mediocrity  for  pulpit  eloquence.  I  knew  him  in  1850-51, 
and  in  subsequent  years.  He  lived  to  an  advanced  age, 
and  left  to  the  Church  the  heritage  of  a  number  of  chil- 
dren, who  became  useful  citizens.''2 

Benjamin  Mathews  was  on  the  Swannanoa  in  1797. 
He  was  admitted  in  1795  and  traveled  until  1803,  when 
for  some  reason  he  located.  Thomas  Mann  was  appointed 
to  Swannanoa  in  1798.  He  was  admitted  into  the  Confer- 
ence in  1793,  and  traveled  in  North  Carolina,  Virginia, 
and  Tennessee.  He  was  born  in  Amherst  county,  Vir- 
ginia, April  1st,  1769,  and  joined  the  Church  in  his  nine- 
teenth year.  He  gave  nearly  all  of  his  ministerial  life  to 
the  itinerancy.  During  a  great  part  of  his  itinerant  life  he 
kept  a  diary,3   from  which  we  gather  many  interesting 

"'Life  of  Travis,"  page  195. 

'"Holston  Methodism,"  Price,  page  283. 

8There  are  thirteen  volumes  of  this  diary  in  the  writer's  posses- 
sion. The  leaves  are  yellow  with  age,  and  much  of  it  is  hard  to  de- 
cipher.    It  begins  about  1798,  and  covers  most  of  the  period  from 


294  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

facts.  He  traveled  almost  incessantly,  and  preached  with 
much  earnestness  and  plainness  of  speech.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  spiritual  power,  and  thoroughly  consecrated 
to  his  work.  During  the  time  he  was  on  the  Swannanoa 
Circuit  he  endured  many  hardships  and  privations. 

No  one  at  the  present  can  realize  what  it  meant  to  be 
an  itinerant  Methodist  preacher  in  western  North  Caro- 
lina a  little  over  a  hundred  years  ago.  Thomas  Mann 
speaks  often  of  the  Littlejohns,  Harpers,  Whites,  Wake- 
fields,  Davenports,  Porters,  Dickeys,  Hensons,  and  Kil- 
lians.  He  preached  at  the  houses  of  these,  and  at  many 
others.  Morganton  was  another  place  in  his  round.  He 
mentions  several  other  preachers  who  preached  in  the 
bounds  of  the  circuit  during  the  year.  He  refers  to 
brother  Mansfield  who  was  presiding  elder  on  the  district, 
and  to  the  fact  of  hearing  Hancock,  Bird,  and  Henly 
preach  from  time  to  time.  On  one  occasion  he  speaks  of 
being  in  company  with  brother  Hancock,  when  they  saw 
some  Indians  who  "appeared  to  be  sedate,"  and  he  and 
brother  Hancock  talked  and  prayed  with  them.  On  an- 
other occasion  he  speaks  of  riding  a  long  way  through  the 
snow  to  an  appointment,  and  on  reaching  the  meeting- 
house he  found  no  one  present.  He  makes  this  state- 
ment on  the  last  day  of  1798:  "This  day  ends  the  year. 
How  many  changing  scenes  I  have  passed  through! 
Much  distress  of  bodv  and  mind.     And  how  little  I  have 


then  until  1827.  Much  of  it  is  religious  experience.  Its  historical 
value  is  lessened  by  a  great  many  abbreviations.  But  with  all  these 
imperfections,  it  throws  a  great  deal  of  light  on  the  period  covered. 
For  the  use  of  this  manuscript  we  are  indebted  to  Rev.  C.  A.  Wood. 


West  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  295 

done  for  God!  How  little  good  done  in  his  cause!  O 
God,  pardon  whatever  thou  hast  seen  amiss  in  me,  for  thy- 
mine's sake!"  And  on  January  1st,  1779,  he  prays  again 
in  these  words :  "Oh,  may  I  live  nearer  God  this  year  than 
ever!"  From  reading  these  old  faded  pages,  we  judge 
that  as  he  rode  over  these  mountains  he  lived  continually 
in  an  atmosphere  of  prayer. 

He  was  on  the  effective  list,  with  the  exception  of  a 
short  while,  until  1830,  when  he  was  placed  on  the  super- 
annuate list.  And  "on  the  evening  of  the  22d  of  June  he 
retired  to  his  chamber  in  as  good  health,  apparently,  as 
he  had  been  for  some  time.  Early  in  the  night  a  nephew 
lying  in  the  same  room  was  awakened  by  an  unusual 
noise,  as  though  his  uncle  were  strangling.  He  hastened 
to  his  relief  and  raised  him  up  in  his  arms,  but  his  spirit 
was  departing  and  in  a  moment  was  gone.  Thus  died 
Thomas  Mann,  in  the  sixty-second  year  of  his  age,  thirty- 
five  of  which  were  spent  in  the  work  of  the  ministry.  As 
a  Christian  he  was  deeply  pious :  for  many  years  he  had 
professed  sanctification,  and  to  believers  he  was  truly  an 
example  in  word,  in  conversation,  in  charity,  in  spirit,  in 
faith,  and  in  purity.  As  a  minister  he  was  sound  in  doc- 
trine, plain,  experimental,  and  practical  in  preaching,  and 
generally  useful  and  well  received  where  he  labored.  As  a 
companion  he  was  easy  in  his  manners,  communicative 
and  edifying  in  conversation,  sober  without  sadness,  and 
cheerful  without  levity.  But  his  work  is  done;  his  race 
is  ended;  and  he  is  gone,  we  have  no  doubt,  where  the 
wicked  cease  from  troubling  and  the  weary  are  at  rest."1 

'Minutes,  Vol.  II.,  page  118. 


296  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Nathan  Jarratt  followed  Mann  on  the  Swannanoa  Cir- 
cuit in  1799.  The  circuit  was  established  in  1793  with 
seventy  members.  At  the  end  of  two  years  it  had  236 
members;  and  in  1799  a  membership  of  281  was  reported. 
The  strength  of  a  circuit  was  often  reduced  by  the  forma- 
tion of  other  circuits,  and  perhaps  Swannanoa  lost  some  in 
this  way ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  country  was 
sparsely  settled  and  the  inhabitants  few.  Emigrants  from 
the  east  did  not  often  stop  in  the  mountains  of  western 
North  Carolina,  but  continued  until  they  reached  East 
Tennessee  or  the  fertile  fields  of  the  Mississippi  Valley. 
Many  at  that  day  went  from  Virginia  and  eastern  Carolina 
to  Kentucky,  and  Methodism  there  to-day  owes  much  to 
North  Carolina. 

Nathan  Jarratt  has  been  mentioned  in  another  chapter, 
but  we  give  the  following  summary  of  his  work  as  found 
in  the  minutes  of  1804 :  "Nathan  Jarratt,  a  native  of  North 
Carolina.  He  was  admitted  into  the  traveling  connection 
in  1799,  and  departed  triumphant  in  the  faith  of  the  gospel 
the  28th  of  October,  1803,  by  a  short  illness  with  an  in- 
flammatory bilious  fever,  in  New  Kent  county,  state  of 
Virginia.  He  was  a  man  of  great  zeal  and  a  pleasing 
voice,  affable  in  his  manners  and  greatly  beloved  by  all 
who  had  any  acquaintance  with  him.  He  traveled  exten- 
sively for  the  time  he  was  in  the  connection;  in  North 
Carolina,  in  Swannanoa,  Goshen,  Newbern,  Wilming- 
ton, and  Bertie  circuits;  in  Virginia,  in  Bedford,  Wil- 
liamsburg, and  Hanover  circuits.  In  him  the  Virginia 
Conference  has  lost  a  worthy  member  and  the  Church  a 
faithful  servant.     He  was  between  twenty-five  and  thirty 


West  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  297 

years  of  age.  The  loss  of  this  servant  of  God  was  justly 
lamented  by  the  Conference  and  by  all  his  acquaintance; 
but  the  will  of  the  Lord  is  done,  which  demands  our  sub- 
mission, believing  he  is  taken  from  the  Church  militant 
to  the  Church  triumphant.  "The  night  before  he  departed, 
after  lying  in  an  apparent  state  of  insensibility  for  some 
time,  he  broke  out  in  a  rapture  of  joy,  and  sang  the  fol^ 
lowing  lines : 

Arise  and  shine,  O  Zion  fair, 
Behold  thy  light  is  come; 

The  glorious  conquering  King  is  nigh, 
To  take  his  exiles  home. 

And  then  in  a  few  moments  he  sweetly  slept  in  Jesus." 

In  1800  the  circuit  was  called  Morganton  and  Swan- 
nanoa,  with  Tosiah  Philips  and  Samuel  Ansley  as  its 
preachers.  Philips  was  admitted  in  1798,  and  served  the 
following  charges  in  North  Carolina;  1800,  Morganton 
and  Swannanoa;  1801,  Guilford;  1S03,  Mattamuskeet ; 
1804,  Haw  River;  1805,  Trent;  1806,  Salisbury;  1810, 
Yadkin;  18 12,  Roanoke;  and  served  seven  years  in  the 
state  of  Virginia,  thus  giving  fifteen  years  in  the  itinerant 
ministry.  He  located  in  181 3.  Samuel  Ansley  was  ad- 
mitted in  1 79 1,  and  traveled  in  North  Carolina  and  Vir- 
ginia until  18 10,  when  he  located.  Here  are  two  men  who 
gave  an  unusual  length  of  service  to  the  itinerancy  without 
a  break. 

In  1801  Morganton  was  left  off,  and  the  circuit  appears 
as  Swannanoa  again.  Moses  Floyd  was  appointed  pastor ; 
he  was  admitted  on  trial  in  1800,  and  located  in  1804.  He 
served  the  following  charges :  Swannanoa,  Green,  and 
Natchez.    Tobias  Gibson  was  his  colleague  on  the  Natchez. 


298  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Here  the  people  soon  "learned  to  esteem  Mr.  Floyd  as  a 
refined  and  courtly  gentleman,  as  well  as  a  pious,  zealous, 
intelligent,  and  useful  minister  of  the  gospel;  but  in  no 
sense  could  they  consider  him  the  equal  of  their  beloved 
Gibson."  "Mr,  Floyd  was  a  young  man  of  medium  size, 
rather  spare,  with  fair  complexion,  high  forehead,  mild 
and  benevolent  countenance,  soft  and  agreeable  manners, 
rather  feeble  voice  in  preaching ;  but  his  style  of  delivery 
was  pleasant,  and  his  sermons  were  clear,  logical,  and 
scriptural.  The  writer  never  saw  him  the  least  boisterous 
in  the  pulpit,  though  there  was  often  so  much  earnestness 
and  sympathy  in  his  pulpit  labors  that  the  people  were  con- 
strained to  feel  that  he  was  deeply  interested  in  their  sal- 
vation. The  burden  of  the  work,  of  course,  fell  mainly  on 
him,  and  his  habitual  pale  face  and  failing  strength  soon 
told  that  the  burden  was  more  than  he  could  long  bear." 
During  his  pastorate  on  the  Natchez  charge  he  formed 
an  attachment  for  a  Miss  Griffmg,  who  was  beautiful  and 
deeply  pious,  "and  in  every  way  worthy  of  being  a  preach- 
er's wife."  But  because  Mr.  Floyd  was  in  feeble  health 
her  parents  objected  to  the  marriage.  This,  however,  did 
not  stop  them.  Miss  Griffing  was  of  age,  and  the  couple 
were  married.  There  was  no  elopement.  The  Discipline 
at  that  day  had  a  section  on  "Unlawful  Marriages,"  and 
according  to  the  rule  it  would  have  been  legitimate  for  any 
Christian  to  have  married  her  under  the  circumstances,  but 
the  Discipline  makes  an  exception  of  a  Methodist  preacher. 
When  there  is  objection,  it  says  "a  Methodist  preacher 
ought  not  to  be  married  to  her."1 

discipline,  ninth  edition,  1797,  page  54. 


West  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  299 

Mr.  Floyd  looked  upon  this  rule  as  advisory,  and  not 
taught  by  the  word  of  God,  and  so  felt  that  he  had  done 
no  harm.  The  enemy  took  advantage  of  this,  and  the 
standard  of  the  ministry  was  lowered  in  that  section. 
Floyd  was  suspended  from  the  ministry  for  a  short  time. 
His  character  was  passed  at  the  next  session  of  the  Con- 
ference, and  he  was  granted  a  location.  Afterwards  he 
studied  and  practiced  medicine,  and  continued  his  duties  as 
a  local  preacher.  He  maintained  his  Christian  character 
to  the  end  of  his  career.  He  located  to  make  a  living  for 
his  family,  but  was  not  very  successful  even  in  that.  He 
died  poor,  and  left  a  widow  in  poverty.  He  died  of 
measles  in  18 14. 

While  Mr.  Floyd  was  on  the  Swannanoa  Circuit,  Rev. 
James  Jenkins  passed  through  that  section  and  spent  some 
time  at  Hot  Springs.  He  was  presiding  elder  on  a  district 
which  embraced  Cherokee  Circuit,  and  at  the  quarterly 
meeting  for  this  circuit,  which  was  near  the  Blue  Ridge, 
Mr.  Floyd  met  him  and  conducted  him  across  the  moun- 
tain. Jenkins  preached  several  times  on  the  way,  "and  on 
one  occasion,"  he  says,  "at  a  night  meeting  near  Bun- 
combe Courthouse,  the  sanctifying  grace  of  God  was  pres- 
ent during  the  first  prayer;  at  which  time  a  sister  expe- 
rienced this  important  blessing.  I  heard  from  her  the  next 
fall,  through  Bishop  Asbury,  and  she  was  still  happy."1 

In  speaking  of  the  springs,  he  says :  "A  few  cabins  had 
been  prepared  here  for  invalids;  one  of  which  was  occu- 
pied by  a  brother  from  Georgia,  with  whom  I  boarded.    I 

'"Life  of  James  Jenkins,"  page  106. 


300  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

found  here  quite  a  mixed  multitude  from  Georgia  and  the 
Carolinas,  among  whom  were  a  Presbyterian  and  a  Bap- 
tist minister.  These  people  amused  themselves  at  foot 
racing  and  cards ;  for  which  I  reproved  them  in  public  and 
private.  I  preached  once;  they  paid  good  attention. 
After  spending  ten  days  among  them,  having  received  con- 
siderable benefit  from  the  water,  I  left  for  my  regular 
work.  On  my  return  I  filled  several  appointments  I  had 
made  on  my  way  up.  I  preached  once  at  brother  Mills's, 
and  spent  the  night  at  brother  Edney's,  whose  wife,  a 
long  time  serious,  obtained  religion  while  we  were  at  fam- 
ily worship."1 

In  November,  1800,  Bishop  Asbury  spent  some  time  in 
western  North  Carolina.  November  8th,  he  says:  "We 
came  to  Thomas  Foster's,2  and  held  a  small  meeting  at  his 
house.  We  must  bid  farewell  to  the  chaise ;  this  mode  of 
conveyance  by  no  means  suits  the  roads  in  this  wilderness ; 
we  are  obliged  to  keep  one  behind  the  carriage  with  a 
strap  to  hold  by  and  prevent  accidents  almost  continually. 
I  have  health  and  hard  labor,  and  a  constant  sense  of  the 
favor  of  God. 

"Tobias  Gibson  had  given  notice  to  some  of  my  being 

J"Life  of  Jenkins,"  page  107. 

'Thomas  Foster  lived  on  the  southern  side  of  the  Swannanoa 
River,  about  two  and  one-half  miles  south  of  Asheville,  on  the 
old  Rutherfordton  road.  He  built  the  first  bridge  across  the  Swan- 
nanoa. He  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  from  Buncombe.  He 
was  a  man  of  prominence,  and  accumulated  considerable  wealth. 
Mr.  Foster  often  entertained  Bishop  Asbury.  He  did  not  claim  to 
be  a  Christian,  yet  he  had  a  daughter,  Mrs.  James  M.  Alexander, 
who  became  a  stanch  Methodist.  He  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  and  is 
buried  at  Newton  Academy  graveyard  in  the  suburbs  of  Asheville. 


KILLIAN     HOUSE. 


West  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  301 

at  Buncombe  Courthouse,  and  the  society  at  Killian's,  in 
consequence  of  this,  made  an  appointment  for  me  on  Sun- 
day, nth.  We  were  strongly  importuned  to  stay,  which 
brother  Whatcoat  felt  inclined  to  do.  In  the  meantime 
we  had  our  horses  shod  by  Philip  Smith ;  this  man,  as  is 
not  infrequently  the  case  in  this  country,  makes  wagons 
and  works  at  carpentry,  makes  shoes  for  men  and  for 
horses;  to  which  he  adds,  occasionally,  the  manufacture 
of  saddles  and  hats." 

Mr.  Charles  M.  Killian  writes  a  letter  to  Dr.  R.  N. 
Price,  dated  October  29th,  1902,  in  which  he  says :  "I  am 
a  direct  descendant  of  Daniel  Killian  to  whom  you  refer; 
and  may  also  add  that,  as  far  as  my  knowledge  extends, 
I  am  the  only  living  grandson  of  the  said  Daniel  Killian, 
who  was  the  friend  and  host  of  the  venerated  Bishop  As- 
bury  in  his  travels  through  this  then  wilderness  in  the  early 
days  of  Methodism.  The  house  which  was  the  home  of 
my  grandfather,  and  where  the  bishop  made  his  home,  was 
torn  down  something  over  a  year  ago  by  Captain  I.  V. 
Baird,  the  present  owner  of  the  old  homestead,  and  a  large 
modern  house  was  erected.  The  old  chimney  remained 
standing  up  to  a  few  days  since,  but  has  been  taken  away. 
Captain  Baird,  with  the  logs  that  were  not  too  much  de- 
cayed, built  a  tenant  house  on  another  part  of  the  estate. 
The  photo  of  the  original  house  was  taken  about  two  years 
since  under  the  direction  of  Bishop  Fitzgerald."1 

While  in  this  section,  the  bishop  visited  George  Swain's 
"agreeable  family."     George  Swain  was  the  father  of 

"'Methodism  in  Holston,"  page  303. 


302  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

David  L.  Swain,  who  was  for  many  years  president  of  the 
university,  and  at  one  time  Governor  of  North  Carolina. 
The  bishop  again  visited  this  territory  in  1803,  and  inti- 
mates an  improvement  in  the  roads ;  and  speaks  of  passing 
two  large  camp  meeting  grounds. 

In  1802  Thomas  L.  Douglass  was  on  the  Swannanoa 
Circuit,  and  James  Douthet  was  presiding  elder.  On  May 
the  1  st  and  2d,  at  a  quarterly  meeting,  James  Douthet 
says,  "it  was  a  solemn  time;  thought  by  some  to  be  the 
greatest  meeting  ever  held  in  Buncombe  county."  Mr. 
Newton,  a  Presbyterian,  attended  and  assisted  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  word  and  the  ordinance  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  At  this  time  the  revival  fires  were  burning  all 
the  way  from  the  Blue  Ridge  to  the  sea. 

Joab  Watson  followed  Douglass  on  the  circuit.  He  was 
admitted  in  1801,  and  located  in  1806.  And  James  Tay- 
lor, who  served  Swannanoa  in  1804,  was  admitted  in  1803, 
and  discontinued  in  1805.  The  circuit  did  not  have  a 
rapid  growth  so  far  as  numbers  are  concerned ;  for  in  1805 
there  were  only  311  members  in  the  bounds  of  this  large 
circuit. 

There  is  an  article  in  the  "Heroes  of  Methodism,"  taken 
from  the  Southwest  Virginian,  that  gives  such  a  vivid  de- 
scription of  Bishop  Asbury's  experience  in  that  mountain 
district,  that  we  introduce  it  here : 

"Soon  after  Mr.  Asbury  was  elected  bishop,  he  had  oc- 
casion to  cross  the  Blue  Ridge  from  the  western  part  of 
North  Carolina  to  Tennessee.  Nearly  one  whole  day 
was  spent  in  wandering  among  the  ravines  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  mountain,  and  several  times  in  the  course 


West  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  303 

of  the  day  he  found  himself  completely  bewildered.  His 
intention  was  to  reach  a  cottage  near  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tain, where  men  of  his  own  order  were  wont  to  resort; 
but  the  shadow  of  the  mountain,  as  it  lengthened  over 
the  vale,  proclaimed  the  close  of  day,  and  admonished 
him  that  he  must  seek  for  entertainment  among  stran- 
gers, or  else  consent  to  spend  the  night  in  the  deep  and 
lonely  recesses  of  a  strange  forest. 

"In  vain  he  looked  out  for  a  cottage  where  he  might 
spend  the  night.  No  opening  field  appeared — no  curling 
smoke  ascended — no  woodman's  ax  resounded — all  was 
silent  and  solitary !  He  pressed  his  jaded  pony,  but  night 
soon  spread  its  sable  curtains  around  him.  About  this 
time  the  night  owl  set  up  a  hideous  scream,  which  almost 
caused  the  bishop's  hair  to  stand  erect.  To  this  responded 
the  dismal  howling  of  wolves  in  every  direction,  which  so 
wrought  upon  his  apprehensions  that  he  easily  imagined 
them  standing  upon  every  rock  that  overlooked  his  road ; 
and,  to  heighten  the  horror  of  the  scene,  he  distinctly  heard 
at  a  short  distance  from  the  road  the  shrieks  of  a  panther, 
which  thrilled  through  his  whole  soul.  Again  he  urged  on 
his  pony;  but  the  whip  only  extorted  a  heavy  and  jaded 
trot.  As  he  cast  his  eyes  around  him  everything  seemed 
to  have  put  on  the  aspect  of  woe,  and  every  sound  in- 
spired melancholy.  The  roaring  of  the  distant  waterfall, 
the  rippling  of  the  small  rill  as  its  sportive  waters  leaped 
from  rock  to  rock,  the  cry  of  the  whipporwill,  and  the 
sighing  of  the  evening  breeze,  all  contributed  to  deepen 
the  gloom  in  which  his  mind  was  already  involved.  He 
often  looked  to  the  right  hand  and  to  the  left,  hoping  that 


304  Methodism  in  Xorth  Carolina. 

some  cottage  fire  might  arrest  his  eye ;  but  all  was  a  dense 
forest. 

"As  he  slowly  ascended  from  one  of  the  deep  ravines, 
he  fancied  he  saw  in  the  distance  a  light  from  some  dwell- 
ing; but  it  only  blazed  for  a  moment,  and  then  disap- 
peared. A  moment  after,  one  solid  column  of  fire  seemed 
to  gush  as  from  the  crater  of  some  volcano,  widening  as 
it  sped  its  way  through  the  apparently  cloudless  sky,  and 
blazing  in  fearful  grandeur  around  the  tall  peaks  of  the 
mountain.  This  was  succeeded  by  one  long,  loud,  and 
deafening  peal  of  thunder,  which  convinced  the  bishop 
that  a  dreadful  thunderstorm  was  close  at  hand.  For  an 
hour  the  storm  raged  fearfully.  The  oft-reiterated  peals 
of  thunder,  as  they  broke  in  angry  tones  from  the  clouds, 
and  reverberated  among  the  hills,  the  lurid  coruscations 
of  the  lightning,  the  torrents  of  rain  that  fell,  with  the 
bending  and  breaking  of  many  a  sturdy  tree,  made  it  one 
of  the  most  fearful  scenes  the  bishop  had  ever  witnessed. 
But  the  storm  passed  by,  and  through  the  mercy  of  God 
he  was  yet  spared,  and  pursued  his  course. 

"But  he  had  not  proceeded  far  when  suddenly  his  pony 
halted,  pricked  up  his  ears,  and  stood  still.  'Mercy!' 
ejaculated  the  bishop,  'what  now?'  He  applied  his  whip; 
but  his  horse  was  not  to  be  moved.  He  attempted  to  turn 
him  round  (for  manly  courage  now  gave  way  to  the  wild- 
est apprehensions),  but  the  beast  stood  as  if  bound  by  a 
spell  of  enchantment.  For  a  moment  the  bishop  was  held 
in  fearful  suspense,  and  then  a  noise  was  heard  near  by, 
at  which  the  affrighted  horse  wheeled  round  and  bounded 
off  with  the  agility  of  a  buck,  leaving  the  bishop  flat  in  the 


West  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  305 

middle  of  the  road.  But  the  worst  was  now  over ;  for  he 
distinctly  heard  human  voices,  to  which  he  hastily  called, 
and  received  a  friendly  answer.  They  proved  to  be  those 
of  two  young  men  who  had  been  hunting  in  the  course  of 
the  day  and  had  wandered  far  from  home.  They  had 
killed  a  deer,  which  they  were  carrying  home.  Wearied 
with  their  load,  they  had  lain  down  to  rest.  At  first  they 
rudely  laughed  at  the  bishop's  manifest  excitement;  but 
finding  his  horse  had  left  him,  they  evinced  sympathy,  and 
assisted  to  catch  him.  He  asked  permission  to  go  home 
with  them,  which  was  granted.  It  was  not  long  before 
they  reached  the  end  of  their  journey.  It  was  a  little  log 
hut  buried  in  the  recess  of  the  mountains,  and  on  every 
side  stood  huge  battlements  of  rocks.  A  rail  pen  secured 
his  horse  till  morning.  The  old  people  were  found  to  be 
plain  and  simple-hearted.  A  very  rough  supper  was  pro- 
cured, on  which  the  bishop  hastily  regaled  himself.  After 
supper  he  proposed  that  they  should  have  prayers.  All 
was  still  as  the  house  of  death.  He  took  out  his  pocket 
Bible,  from  which  he  read  a  chapter  aloud;  and  then, 
kneeling  down,  offered  a  devout  prayer,  in  which  he 
ardently  petitioned  for  the  welfare  of  the  family,  etc. 
During  the  prayer  the  old  man  stood  back  at  the  door, 
with  a  little  urchin  on  each  side  holding  fast  to  his 
clothes;  the  old  dame  stood  close  up  in  the  corner  of 
the  great  wooden  chimney,  with  two  little  ones,  one  in 
her  arms,  and  the  other  by  the  hand.  The  other  chil- 
dren all  ran  under  the  bed;  and  the  two  young  men  who 
had  conducted  him  to  the  house  both  left,  and  were  not 
seen  again  until  morning.  The  next  morning  the  bishop 
20 


306  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

proposed  preaching  there  soon,  as  there  were  no  churches 
in  that  part  of  the  country.  Silence  gave  consent;  so  he 
appointed  a  day,  and  then  pursued  his  journey. 

"The  day  for  preaching  arrived;  the  bishop  appeared, 
when  lo !  the  mountain  land  seemed  to  have  poured  forth 
all  its  sturdy  population  to  witness  the  truly  novel  circum- 
stance of  a  bishop  preaching  at  the  house  of  old  Mr.  Jen- 
kins. Ere  he  got  within  a  mile  of  the  place  he  heard  the 
sharp  cracking  of  rifles,  the  sound  of  the  huntsman's  horn, 
the  occasional  cry  of  the  hounds,  and  hearty  laughter  from 
many  a  sturdy  mountainer.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  during 
service  they  were  still;  the  word  was  not  without  effect 
To  cut  the  matter  short,  in  less  than  twelve  months  a 
Methodist  church  was  organized  in  that  place,  including 
all  of  Mr.  Jenkins's  family."1 

This  gives  an  insight  into  the  life  of  the  people,  and  the 
travels,  dangers,  and  hardships  of  the  pioneers.  With 
Asbury  to  lead,  the  circuit  preachers  went  everywhere. 
With  true  apostolic  zeal  they  pressed  into  "the  regions  be- 
yond." The  spirit  that  was  expressed  in  the  statement 
made  by  John  Wesley,  "the  world  is  my  parish,"  was  in 
them  and  dominated  their  lives.  "And  urged  by  an  im- 
pulse supreme  over  love  of  home,  ease,  or  comfort,  they  lit- 
erally went  everywhere  preaching  the  gospel."  They  were 
not  moved  by  ambition  or  money,  but  the  love  of  Christ 
constrained  them.  The  gospel  had  been  committed  to 
them  as  a  sacred  trust,  and  the  circuit  preachers  of  early 
Methodism  had  a  conviction  that  "woe  is  me  if  I  preach 

'"Heroes  of  Methodism,"  page  45. 


West  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  307 

not  the  gospel."  This  voice  from  within  drowned  the 
hardships,  labors,  and  sacrifices  incident  to  the  lives  of  the 
itinerants  of  that  day.  The  greatest  distinction  that  could 
come  to  them  was  to  die  at  the  post  of  duty  on  the  field 
of  battle.  "No  cross,  no  crown,"  was  their  motto.  "These 
are  they  'of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy.' '  They  are 
now  before  the  throne  of  God.  "They  shall  hunger  no 
more,  neither  thirst  any  more." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  PERIOD  OF  REVIVALS. 

The  Meaning  of  Methodism — A  Revival  Essential  to  Growth.  Con- 
dition of  the  Church — Spiritual  Condition  Low — Skepticism 
Fashionable.  New  Pentecost — Originated  Among  the  Metho- 
dists— Bishop  Asbury  the  Leader — Young  Men  with  Apostolic 
Spirit  Assisted — Many  Results  Followed — Skepticism  Gave  Way. 
Religious  Experience.  Doctrines  Preached.  Convictions  Pun- 
gent. Bodily  Exercises — The  "Jerks" — Dr.  Buckley's  Explana- 
tion— Jacob  Young  Gave  Some  Instances. 

We  come  now  to  consider  one  of  the  most  vital  parts  of 
Methodism.  After  going  back  to  the  sources  of  Meth- 
odist history,  if  we  were  asked  to  give  a  definition  of 
Methodism  in  one  short  sentence,  we  would  say,  It  is  a 
revival  of  religion.  In  the  word  "revival"  is  found  its 
full  significance.  Methodism  did  not  originate  because  of 
any  dissatisfaction  with  the  form  of  Church  government. 
Neither  was  it  born  in  some  dogmatic  belief.  It  formed 
no  new  article  of  faith.  Hence  it  was  not  a  revolution 
against  any  law,  ecclesiastical  authority,  or  doctrine.  But 
it  was  a  vital,  innate  force,  that  could  not  find  expression 
in  any  organization  of  that  day.  Methodism,  therefore, 
grew  out  of  the  necessity  of  the  case. 

If  we  look  at  the  Church  through  all  of  its  long  history, 
we  will  find  that  it  has  had  its  times  of  declension  and 
"times  of  refreshing."  The  revival  of  spiritual  life  is  not 
an  accident.  It  is  based  upon  the  law  that  "all  life  ebbs 
and  flows."  We  know  this  is  true  in  vegetable  life,  when 
we  look  at  the  flower  at  springtime,  and  then  see  the  fad- 
(308) 


The  Period  of  Revivals.  309 

ing  tints  in  autumn.  It  is  true  with  animal  life,  and  of  in- 
tellectual life.  And  why  should  not  this  same  law  apply- 
to  man's  higher  life — his  religious  or  spiritual?  By  inves- 
tigation you  will  find  that  here  the  law  is  most  clearly 
demonstrated,  for  here  it  reaches  its  preeminence.  It  is 
essential  to  the  growth  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  A  re- 
vival of  religion  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is 
not  in  the  power  of  man  to  manipulate  a  revival  into  ex- 
istence. The  "times  of  refreshing  are  from  the  presence 
of  the  Lord." 

One  extreme  generally  follows  another.  In  the  period 
that  we  are  about  to  consider,  the  pendulum  seems  to 
swing  far  out  on  the  side  of  spiritual  Christianity.  The 
Church  had  come  through  a  long  period  of  formalism. 
The  spirit  of  religion  was  low.  The  attention  of  the  peo- 
ple for  some  years  had  been  turned  toward  the  war  with 
England,  and  during  that  conflict  everything  was  demor- 
alized. Since  their  independence  had  been  declared,  much 
thought  had  been  given  to  political  power,  etc.  Skepti- 
cism was  fashionable.  Among  the  educated  many  were 
proud  of  their  "free  thought."  The  influence  of  Tom 
Paine  and  Voltaire  had  spread  its  dark  cloud  over  the 
New  World. 

But  near  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  pendu- 
lum seemed  to  swing  back,  and  God  manifested  himself 
to  the  Church  in  a  power  no  less  great  than  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost.  Scenes  and  phenomena  were  witnessed  that 
made  men  quake  and  tremble.  And  from  that  day  to  the 
present,  French  infidelity  has  been  on  the  decline.  In  this 
chapter  it  is  our  purpose  to  follow  this  revival  fire  as  it 


310  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

swept  over  North  Carolina  in  its  awakening  and  saving 
power.  To  some  extent  we  will  notice  the  result  on  other 
Churches.  It  is  true  some  denominations  did  not  endorse 
it,  and  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it,  yet  they  no  doubt 
received  benefit  from  it.  Among  other  Churches,  the  de- 
nominational lines  almost  faded  out  under  this  greater 
light  of  spiritual  life. 

By  some  writers  the  Methodists  are  almost  ignored  as 
instruments  in  the  great  revival  that  swept  over  North 
Carolina  near  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  These 
historians  confine  it  almost  solely  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church ;  but  any  one  who  will  investigate  the  subject  will 
find  that  it  originated  in  the  Methodist  Church,  and  was 
carried  on  largely  by  its  preachers.  It  is  true  that  the 
Presbyterians,  or  at  least  some  of  them,  joined  in  the 
movement, — Presbyterians  and  Methodists  frequently 
working  together.  But  these  great  revival  meetings  were 
unknown  in  North  Carolina-  until  the  fire  began  to  burn 
in  the  "Old  Brunswick  Circuit"  in  Virginia,  under  the 
preaching  of  the  Methodists.  This  was  as  early  as  1774 
and  1775.  When  the  Methodist  preacher  came  to  North 
Carolina,  he  brought  the  revival  fire;  and  from  that  day 
on  the  "ebb  and  flow"  of  spiritual  life  could  be  seen. 

Bishop  Asbury  was  the  leader  in  this  revival  move- 
ment. His  zeal  was  only  limited  by  his  physical  strength. 
Around  him  was  a  ministry  composed  mostly  of  young 
men  of  apostolic  spirit  and  character,  who  counted  not 
their  lives  dear  unto  them.  They  were  willing  to  face  the 
scorn  of  men  and  the  opposition  of  demons  that  they 
might  win  souls  for  Christ.    They  were  soon  tested  in  the 


The  Period  of  Revivals.  311 

fires  of  opposition  and  persecution,  and  found  to  be  men 
of  God,  who  were  "mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling 
down  of  strongholds."  These  men  threw  themselves 
against  the  deism  of  England  and  the  skepticism  of 
France  that  were  beginning  to  put  in  their  destructive 
work  upon  these  western  shores,,  So  in  this  great  revival 
period  it  was  war  between  formalism  and  spiritual  Chris- 
tianity ;  between  creed  and  a  religious  experience ;  between 
a  genuine  saving  faith  and  skepticism.  And  when  this 
wave  of  spiritual  life  rolled  over  this  country,  it  left 
thousands  of  souls  with  an  experience  as  clear  as  the 
noonday  sun;  and  as  the  darkness  of  the  night  is  driv- 
en back  by  the  morning  sun,  so  all  doubt  and  skepticism 
faded  away  under  the  light  of  the  glorious  gospel  of 
Christ. 

The  doctrines  preached  were  thoroughly  Methodistic. 
Free  salvation,  full  salvation,  present  salvation;  justifica- 
tion by  faith;  the  regeneration  of  the  heart  by  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  the  knowledge  of  sins  forgiven,  or  the  witness  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  that  the  believer  is  born  of  God;  the  joy 
of  religion  which  is  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit ;  and  that  now  is 
the  day  of  salvation ; — these  doctrines  had  been  preached 
by  the  Methodists  from  the  time  they  first  entered  North 
Carolina.  Rev.  James  McGready  (Presbyterian),  giving 
an  account  of  this  great  revival  wave,  says :  "Party  doc- 
trines are  laid  aside,  and  nothing  is  heard  from  the  pulpit 
but  the  practical  and  experimental  doctrines  of  the  gos- 
pel." Experimental  religion  was  the  great  theme  of  the 
Methodist  preacher  at  that  day.  The  revival  was  not 
confined   to   any   one   Church.      The   Presbyterians   and 


312  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Methodists  labored  together  in  harmony  and  rejoiced  to- 
gether in  their  success. 

Another  striking  thing  about  this  revival  was  that  the 
convictions  were  pungent  and  powerful.  And  with  such 
a  deep  conviction,  the  conversion  was  clear  and  bright. 
There  was  a  camp  meeting  held  in  June,  1802,  at  the  Jer- 
sey settlement  in  what  is  now  Davidson  county.  At  least 
three  thousand  persons  attended,  with  about  three  hun- 
dred professions.  Samuel  McCorkle  describes  the  con- 
viction of  an  old  woman  who  had  been  mocking  the 
mourners  on  Monday  all  day.  Late  in  the  afternoon  she 
fell  in  a  state  of  horror  and  despair,  and  in  this  state  she 
continued  with  intervals  for  three  hours.  Mr.  McCorkle 
says :  "It  was  impossible  for  my  imagination  to  conceive 
of  her  being  more  tormented  had  she  actually  been  in  hell. 
She  often  roared  out,  'O  hell !  thy  pangs  have  seized  me ! 
What  torments  me?  Hell  can't  be  worse.  Let  me  go 
there  at  once.  It  is  my  dreadful  doom.'  Two  stout  men 
were  no  match  for  her  struggles.  I  thought  of  the  man 
among  the  tombs  with  his  legion.  At  intervals  she  cried, 
'Oh,  for  mercy !  But  what  have  I  to  do  with  mercy?  No 
mercy  for  poor  miserable  me.'  Hope,  however,  began  to 
prevail,  and  at  last  she  shouted,  'Glory !  glory !  '  "  as  long 
as  she  had  wailed  on  account  of  the  torment  that  she  en- 
dured. 

Men  under  conviction  were  often  struck  down,  and  not 
only  exercised  in  mind  and  heart,  but  great  bodily  exer- 
cises often  attended.  The  physical  exercises  were  known 
as  "the  jerks."  Rev.  Barton  W.  Stone,  a  leading  Pres- 
byterian minister,  described  some  of  the  phenomena  that 


The  Period  of  Revivals.  313 

prevailed :  "The  bodily  agitation  or  exercises  attending 
the  excitement  in  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century 
were  various  and  called  by  various  names,  as  the  'falling 
exercise,'  'the  jerks/  'the  dancing  exercise,'  'the  laughing 
exercise,'  and  so  on.  The  'falling  exercise'  was  very  com- 
mon among  all  classes,  the  saints  and  sinners  of  every  age 
and  grade,  from  the  philosopher  to  the  clown.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  exercise  would  generally,  with  a  pious  scream, 
fall  like  a  log  on  the  floor  or  earth,  and  appear  as  dead." 
And  "of  thousands  of  similar  cases"  he  gives  specimens. 
The  "jerks"  sometimes  affected  the  whole  body,  some- 
times a  part  of  the  body.  The  same  writer  and  eyewit- 
ness continued : 

"When  the  head  alone  was  affected,  it  would  be  jerked 
backward  and  forward,  or  from  side  to  side,  so  quickly 
that  the  features  of  the  face  could  not  be  distinguished. 
When  the  whole  system  was  affected,  I  have  seen  the  per- 
son stand  in  one  place  and  jerk  backward  and  forward  in 
quick  succession,  the  head  nearly  touching  the  floor  behind 
and  before.  All  classes,  saints  and  sinners,  the  strong 
as  well  as  the  weak,  were  thus  affected.  I  have  inquired 
of  those  thus  affected  if  they  could  not  account  for  it,  but 
some  have  told  me  that  those  were  among  the  happiest 
seasons  of  their  lives.  I  have  seen  some  wicked  persons 
thus  affected,  and  all  the  time  cursing  'the  jerks,'  while 
they  were  thrown  to  the  earth  with  violence.  Though  so 
awful  to  behold,  I  do  not  remember  that  any  one  of  the 
thousands  I  have  seen  thus  affected  ever  sustained  any 
injury  in  body.  This  was  as  strange  as  the  exercise 
itself. 


314  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

"The  laughing  exercise  was  frequent,  confined  solely 
to  the  religious.  It  was  a  loud,  hearty  laugh,  but  it  ex- 
cited laughter  in  none  that  saw  it.  The  subject  appeared 
rapturously  solemn,  and  his  laughter  excited  solemnity 
in  saints  and  sinners.     It  was  truly  indescribable. 

"The  running  exercise  was  nothing  more  than  that  per- 
sons, feeling  something  of  these  bodily  agitations,  through 
fear  attempted  to  run  away  and  thus  escape  from  them ; 
but  it  commonly  happened  that  they  ran  not  far  before 
they  fell,  where  they  became  so  agitated  that  they  could 
not  proceed  any  further. 

"I  knew  a  young  physician  of  a  celebrated  family  who 
came  some  distance  to  a  big  meeting  to  see  the  strange 
things  he  had  heard  of.  He  and  a  young  lady  had  sport- 
ively agreed  to  watch  over  and  take  care  of  each  other  if 
either  should  fall.  At  length  the  physician  felt  something 
very  uncommon,  and  started  from  the  congregation  to 
run  into  the  woods.  He  was  discovered  running  as  for 
life,  but  did  not  proceed  far  before  he  fell  down,  and 
there  lay  until  he  submitted  to  the  Lord,  and  afterwards 
became  a  zealous  member  of  the  Church.  Such  were 
common. 

"Thus  have  I  given  a  brief  account  of  the  wonderful 
things  that  appeared  in  the  great  excitement  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  nineteenth  century.  That  there  were  many  ec- 
centricities and  much  fanaticism  in  this  excitement  was 
acknowledged  by  its  warmest  advocates ;  indeed,  it  would 
have  been  a  wonder  if  such  things  had  not  appeared  in  the 
circumstances  of  that  time.  Yet  the  good  effects  were 
seen  and  acknowledged  in  every  neighborhood  and  among 


The  Period  of  Revivals.  315 

the  different  sects.  It  silenced  contention  and  promoted 
unity  for  a  while."1 

Dr.  J.  M.  Buckley  is  the  only  historian  that  we  have 
seen  who  undertakes  to  account  for,  or  explain,  this 
strange  phenomenon  from  a  scientific  standpoint.  He  has 
written  much  on  psychology,  and  is  a  good  authority  on 
this  subject.  Here  is  what  he  says:  "The  psychological 
key  to  the  problem  is  that  concentrated  attention,  accom- 
panied by  strong  religious  emotion,  produces  a  powerful 
impression  upon  the  nervous  system,  the  result  being  an 
agitation  of  the  nerves  throughout  the  body,  the  effects 
of  which  differ  according  to  the  constitution  of  the  sub- 
ject. In  one  relief  is  found  in  floods  of  tears,  in  another 
in  hysterical  laughter,  in  a  third  by  unconsciousness,  in  a 
fourth  by  a  partial  loss  of  muscular  action  with  marked 
effects  upon  the  operations  of  the  mind;  in  yet  another 
complete  catalepsy  may  be  produced,  every  muscle  becom- 
ing rigid,  and  so  remaining  for  hours,  while  no  impression 
can  be  made  by  ordinary  means  upon  either  the  senses  or 
the  mind ;  and  in  still  another  involuntary  motions  may  be 
constantly  made,  lasting  for  hours  together;  while  some 
temperaments  can  bear  religious  or  any  other  kind  of 
emotion  without  outward  excitement  and  with  no  indica- 
tion except  an  unusual  calmness.  These  differences  of 
susceptibility  are  seen  outside  the  sphere  of  religion,  even 
among  members  of  the  same  family."2 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  much  of  these  physical  exer- 
cises was  due  to  a  psychological  effect.     But  there  were 

^'Early  Times  in  Middle  Tennessee,"  pages  70-75. 
'"History  of  Methodism,"  Buckley,  Vol.  L,  page  262. 


3*6  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

some  of  these  exercises  that  cannot  be  explained  by  this 
process.  Violent  opposers  were  sometimes  seized  by  "the 
jerks" ;  "men  with  imprecations  upon  their  lips  were  sud- 
denly smitten  with  them."  Men  on  horseback  charging 
in  upon  a  camp  meeting  to  disperse  the  congregation  were 
arrested  by  the  strange  affection  at  the  very  boundaries  of 
the  worshiping  circle, — "sometimes  struck  from  their  sad- 
dles as  if  by  a  flash  of  lightning,  and  were  violently  shaken 
the  more  they  endeavored  to  resist  the  inexplicable  power." 
Dr.  Buckley's  explanation  is  perfectly  satisfactory  where 
the  subject  attends  a  religious  gathering  with  concentra- 
ted attention  and  expectation,  but  it  does  not  explain  the 
phenomenon  when  it  occurs  at  a  time  when  there  is  no 
excitement  and  no  expectation.  Rev.  Jacob  Young  in  his 
Autobiography  says:  "Sometimes  at  hotels  this  affliction 
would  visit  persons,  causing  them,  for  example,  in  the 
very  act  of  raising  the  glass  to  their  lips,  to  jerk  and 
throw  the  liquid  to  the  ceiling,  much  to  the  merriment  of 
some  and  the  alarm  of  others.  I  have  often  seen  ladies 
take  it  at  the  breakfast  table.  As  they  were  pouring  tea 
or  coffee,  they  would  throw  the  contents  toward  the  ceil- 
ing, and  sometimes  break  the  saucer.  Then,  hastening 
from  the  table,  their  long  suits  of  braided  hair  hanging 
down  their  backs  would  crack  like  a  whip."  Here  it  occurs 
seemingly  without  excitement  and  without  expectation. 
It  was  not  understood  by  those  who  witnessed  it  at  the 
time,  some  ascribing  it  to  the  devil,  others  to  an  opposite 
source;  some  striving  against  it,  others  courting  it  as  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
God  used  it  in  accomplishing  great  good  during  this  re- 


The  Period  of  Revivals.  317 

vival  period.  Hundreds  were  reached  who  could  not 
have  been  reached  through  any  other  instrumentality. 

Another  eyewitness  says :  "I  saw  members  exercised  in 
this  way  at  a  camp  meeting  held  in  Lincoln  county. 
Sometimes  their  heads  would  be  jerked  backward  and 
forward  with  such  violence  that  it  would  cause  them  to 
utter  involuntarily  a  sharp,  quick  sound,  similar  to  the 
yelp  of  a  dog,  and  the  hair  of  the  women  to  crack  like  a 
whip.  Sometimes  their  arms,  with  clenched  fists,  would 
be  jerked  in  alternate  directions  with  such  force  as  seemed 
sufficient  almost  to  separate  them  from  the  body.  Some- 
times all  their  limbs  would  be  affected,  and  they  would  be 
thrown  into  almost  every  imaginable  position,  and  it  was 
as  impossible  to  hold  them  still  almost  as  to  hold  a  wild 
horse.  When  a  woman  was  exercised  in  this  way,  other 
women  would  join  hands  around  her  and  keep  her  within 
the  circle  they  formed;  but  the  men  were  left  without 
constraint  to  jerk  at  large  through  the  congregation,  over 
benches,  over  logs,  and  even  over  fences.  I  have  seen 
persons  exercised  in  such  a  way  that  they  would  go  all 
over  the  floor  with  a  quick,  dancing  motion,  and  with  such 
rapidity  that  their  feet  would  rattle  upon  the  floor  like 
drumsticks." 

These  instances  are  sufficient  to  show  the  reader  some- 
thing concerning  this  strange  exercise  that  accompanied 
the  great  revival  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century. 


A 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  PERIOD  OF  REVIVALS  (CONTINUED). 

The  Quarterly  Meeting — Account  Given  by  James  Douthet  on  the 
Yadkin.  Swannanoa.  Thomas  L.  Douglass.  Meeting  at  Mor- 
ganton.  Guilford  Circuit.  James  Douthet.  Jonathan  Jackson 
Writes  from  Roanoke.  Bertie  Circuit.  Revivals  on  Newbern 
District.  Lorenzo  Dow — Creates  Sensations — Extracts  from  His 
Journal.     Great  Excitement  Prevailed.      Effect  of  This  Revival. 

The  quarterly  meeting  was  a  great  agency  for  promoting 
revivals.  In  fact,  the  whole  plan  of  Methodism  seemed 
to  be  peculiarly  adapted  to  bring  souls  to  Christ.  But  the 
time  of  the  quarterly  meeting,  especially  when  the  pre- 
siding elder  was  a  quickening  and  awakening  preacher, 
was  a  period  of  transcendent  interest.  "The  love  feast, 
the  sermons  by  the  presiding  elder  and  others,  the  ex- 
hortations, and  the  other  services,  together  with  the 
throngs  in  attendance,  gave  a  striking  impressiveness  to 
such  occasions." 

In  1802,  Rev.  James  Douthet  was  on  the  Salisbury 
District,  from  which  he  gives  a  glowing  account  of  the 
revival  work  in  his  quarterly  meetings.  He  says :  "I  am 
now  at  the  quarterly  meetings  in  the  Yadkin.  Brother 
McKendree  is  with  us.  The  Lord  has  been  powerfully 
present  this  day,  and  we  are  looking  for  greater  times  to- 
morrow and  the  next  day;  the  Lord  is  doing  wonders 
throughout  the  district ;  the  holy  flame  has  caught  and  is 
going  on  very  considerably  in  all  the  circuits.  I  suppose 
at  the  several  quarterly  meetings,  the  second  time  I  went 
(3i8) 


The  Period  of  Revivals.  319 

round  the  district,  not  less  than  five  hundred  souls  pro- 
fessed to  find  the  Lord." 

At  the  quarterly  meeting  on  the  Swannanoa  Circuit, 
the  presiding  elder  says  "it  was  thought  by  some  to  be 
the  greatest  meeting  ever  held  in  Buncombe  county." 
Rev.  Thomas  L.  Douglass  was  on  this  circuit,  and  was  a 
great  revivalist.  He  was  often  in  demand  as  a  preacher 
in  the  great  camp  meetings  held  at  that  day.  He  joined 
the  Conference  in  1801 ;  traveled  circuits  in  1801,  1802, 
1803,  and  1804.  In  1805  he  was  stationed  in  Portsmouth ; 
presiding  elder  on  the  Salisbury  District  in  1807  and  1808. 
In  18 1 3  he  was  stationed  in  Richmond.  In  18 14  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Tennessee  Conference  and  stationed  at 
Nashville.  For  many  years  after  he  left  North  Carolina 
his  name  was  a  household  word. 

The  quarterly  meeting  at  Morganton  on  the  8th  and 
9th  of  May,  1802,  was  attended  with  great  interest.  And 
on  Friday,  the  21st  of  May,  we  find  Mr.  Douthet  on  the 
Guilford  Circuit,  where  he  says  the  meeting  continued 
until  Monday,  the  24th,  and  much  good  was  accomplished. 
He  says :  "We  had  the  greatest  time  and  the  most  power- 
ful work  that  I  ever  saw./  The  work  broke  out  on  Sat- 
urday about  four  o'clock  irrthe  afternoon,  and  there  was 
no  intermission  till  after  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  on 
Monday.  I  think  there  were  during  this  meeting  upward 
of  a  hundred  souls  down  at  one  time  crying  for  mercy; 
between  forty  and  fifty  professed  to  be  converted." 

At  the  quarterly  meeting  on  the  Caswell  Circuit,  Jona- 
than Jackson,  presiding  elder  on  the  Newbern  District, 
was  present  as  a  visitor.     The  Conference  was  held  at 


320  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

Edmund  Taylor's.  There  were  five  conversions  on  Sun- 
day, while  many  "others  were  struck  to  the  earth  and 
cried  aloud  for  mercy."  At  Hickory  Mountain,  on  Haw 
River  Circuit,  "we  had  the  greatest  time  that  had  ever 
been  seen  there.  jJThe  power  of  the  Lord  came  down  on 
Saturday  like  a  mighty  rushing  wind,  and  appeared  to 
rest  on  the  congregation  during  the  meeting.  The  num- 
ber of  the  converted  could  not  be  ascertained.;  The  work 
of  the  Lord  at  this  time  is  reviving  in  a  most  pleasing 
manner  in  all  the  circuits  in  the  district  except  Franklin. 
I  pray  God  to  send  it  there,  and  everywhere,  till  the  earth 
is  filled  with  the  knowledge  and  power  of  God.  The 
preachers  in  the  district  are  all  able  to  travel  and  preach, 
although  some  of  them  complain,  and  are  greatly  weak- 
ened by  excessive  labors."  x 

James  Douthet  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina;  his 
father  having  moved  from  Maryland,  he  settled  on  the 
Yadkin  River,  where  he  reared  two  boys  for  the  Methodist 
ministry,  James  and  Samuel.  James  entered  the  itinerant 
ministry  in  1792,  in  a  class  of  forty-two  other  young  men. 
He  traveled  circuits  until  1801,  when  he  was  appointed  to 
the  Salisbury  District.  The  district  embraced  the  follow- 
ing circuits:  Caswell,  Guilford,  Yadkin,  Morganton, 
Swannanoa,  Salisbury,  Haw  River,  and  Franklin.  James 
Douthet  located  in  1803. 

Good  news  also  came  from  the  Newbern  District, 
through  its  presiding  elder,  Rev.  Jonathan  Jackson.  He 
says,  in  a  letter  written  June  5th,   1802,  that  there  was 

*Rev.  James  Douthet,  presiding  elder,  in  "Extracts  of  Letters  of 
the  Preachers,"  page  39. 


The  Period  of  Revivals.  321 

a  glorious  revival  in  the  Roanoke  Circuit  with  many  con- 
versions and  additions  to  the  societies.  The  congrega- 
tions were  remarkable  for  the  sparsely  settled  condition  of 
the  country.  Mr.  Jackson,  speaking  of  a  quarterly  meet- 
ing at  Malory's  meetinghouse,  says  that  he  judged  the 
congregation  to  be  about  fifteen  hundred,  and  that  there 
were  few  sinners  who  were  not  stricken  by  the  power  of 
God ;  while  many  of  the  saints  shouted  aloud  the  praises 
of  the  Most  High.  The  Xar  Riveiurieeting  also  was  at- 
tended with  the  presence  and  power  of  the  Spirit. 

Jesse  Lee,  who  was  on  the  Norfolk  District  this  year 
( 1802),  writes  :  "The  work  is  considerably  great  in  Bertie 
Circuit.  There  is  a  small  revival  in  Portsmouth  Circuit. 
Camden  Circuit  has  gained  a  little."  In  1804  Daniel  Hall 
speaks  of  another  revival  in  this  part  of  the  state.  He 
says :  "The  work  is  going  on  gloriously  in  some  parts  of 
Bertie  Circuit,  and  has  been  powerful  in  Amelia  Circuit, 
and  good  times  in  Greensville  and  Mecklenburg  circuits; 
and  Old  Brunswick  has  beeen  visited  with  a  gracious 
shower."1 

Philip  Bruce,  writing  from  the  Newbern  District  in 
1804,  says:  "There  has  been  a  small  revival  of  religion 
near  Trenton,  Trent  River;  perhaps  nearly  one  hundred 
added  in  that  neighborhood;  also  some  at  Yelverton's 
Contentney.  There  have  been  some  revivals  in  many 
parts  of  Roanoke  Circuit  and  the  upper  part  of  Tar  River 
Circuit,  and  the  upper  part  of  Tar  River,  especially  about 
Snow's  Church;  the  work  goes  on  well,  among  the  rich 

'"Letters  of  the  Preachers,"  page  106. 


322  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

and  great.  At  a  camp  meeting  October  23,  at  Ebenezer 
meetinghouse,  twelve  miles  above  Halifax,  it  was  sup- 
posed we  had  about  forty  souls  converted  to  God." 

In  1806  Bishop  Asbury  passes  through  the  eastern  part 
of  the  state  and  makes  this  comment  upon  the  revival  that 
had  swept  over  the  country:  "I  met  elder  Bruce;  all  our 
talk  is,  What  hath  God  wrought !  In  Beaufort  the  Lord 
hath  put  forth  his  power ;  the  whole  town  seems  disposed 
to  bow  to  the  scepter  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  after  being  left 
and  visited  again,  within  the  last  twenty  years,  by  his 
faithful  ministers." 

In  glancing  at  this  great  revival,  we  see  a  strange-look- 
ing man  passing  through  North  Carolina  occasionally,  in- 
creasing the  revival  flame  everywhere  he  went.  He  wears 
long  hair,  and  shows  at  a  glance  that  he  is  full  of  eccen- 
tricities. His  name  is  Lorenzo  Dow.  He  was  born  in 
Connecticut,  October  16th,  1777.  He  began  to  exercise 
in  public  under  the  direction  of  Jesse  Lee,  and  was  ad- 
mitted on  trial,  but  his  eccentricities  were  so  numerous 
that  he  was  not  continued  in  the  work  long.  However, 
he  felt  that  he  could  not  be  silent,  that  he  must  call  sin- 
ners to  repentance,  and  he  ceased  not  to  preach.  The  time 
of  his  coming  to  North  Carolina  was  favorable  to  his 
success.  The  whole  country  was  under  the  excitement 
of  the  revival.  The  people  were  looking  for  greater  and 
more  wonderful  displays  of  divine  power.  In  the  midst 
of  all  this  excitement  Dow  appeared  in  North  Carolina. 
"His  appointments  were  usually  made  for  three,  six,  or 
twelve  months  in  advance,  and  at  the  clay,  hour  of  the 
day — nay,  at  the  very  moment — the  form  of  the  wonder- 


LORENZO   DOW. 


The  Period  of  Revivals.  323 

ful  man  was  seen  striding  through  the  crowd  to  the  pul- 
pit, or  to  the  rude  stand  under  the  trees."  Perhaps.no 
man  was  ever  more  vividly  remembered  by  the  masses  of 
the  people  than  Lorenzo  Dow.  Tradition  has  brought 
down  many  of  his  oddities  and  anecdotes  in  almost  every 
family. 

Of  course  he  suffered  persecutions.  He  was  in  prison 
on  one  occasion,  and  he  says,  "Near  Raleigh,  North  Caro- 
lina, a  petty  constable  attempted  to  take  me  up  as  a  horse 
thief."1  And  on  the  other  hand  he  met  many  kind  friends, 
who  were  always  ready  to  assist  him  in  any  way  possible. 
In  1804  he  made  another  tour  through  North  Carolina. 
He  says :  "We  came  to  Wilmington,  where  I  found  re- 
ligion low,  and  bigotry  so  prominent,  particularly  in  the 
leading  and  local  preachers,  that  had  not  Mr.  Russell  been 
with  me,  who  was  stationed  here,  I  should  have  been  shut 
out."  He  spoke  at  Newbern,  Washington,  Tarboro,  Pros- 
pect, Sampson's  meetinghouse,  Jones's,  and  twice  in  the 
statehouse  at  Raleigh.  Then  he  makes  mention  of  another 
halt  in  Iredell  county ;  thence  he  went  to  the  courthouse  in 
Buncombe  county,  where  he  spoke  twice  in  the  Presby- 
terian meetinghouse  with  good  results.  His  horse  having 
a  sore  back,  he  sold  him  at  a  greatly  reduced  price  on  a 
credit,  and  proceeded  on  foot. 

When  he  returned  to  North  Carolina,  he  spoke  at 
"Rockingham  Courthouse  to  fifteen  or  sixteen  hundred 
people,  who  appeared  in  general  solemn  and  well  behaved, 
considering  the  inconvenience  of  standing  in  the  freezing 

'Dow's  Writings,  page  170. 


324-  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

air  and  falling  snow  more  than  two  hours."  He  says  on 
the  next  day,  "I  spoke  at  Danville  to  about  two  thousand ; 
this  was  the  seat  of  Satan's  kingdom,  yet  I  believe  I  shall 
one  day  see  good  times  in  this  quarter."  He  visited  North 
Carolina  again  in  1805,  when  he  says,  "I  spoke  at  Char- 
lotte Courthouse,  but  some  of  A-double-L  part  people 
strove  to  kick  up  a  dust." 

"February  6th.  Twenty-six  miles  in  the  rain  to  Sandy 
Ridge,  where  we  had  a  comfortable  time ;  thence  to  Salis- 
bury, and  I  spoke  in  the  air,  as  it  was  court  time,  but  in  the 
evening  in  the  courthouse,  from  Solomon's  irony.  A  man 
who  had  been  careless  about  religion  was  so  operated 
upon  that  God  opened  his  heart  to  give  me  cloth  for  a 
winter  coat  which  I  greatly  needed. 

"8th.  I  spoke  twice  in  Lexington ;  but  a  drunken  man 
interrupted  us,  and  when  he  became  sober  he  made  ac- 
knowledgment. 

"9th.  Rode  twenty  miles  to  Salem,  and  spoke  to  about 
three  thousand  people  in  the  open  air. 

"10th.  I  spoke  in  Bethany  to  about  three  thousand;  at 
night  at  Doub's,  who  has  the  most  convenient  room,  with 
a  pulpit  and  seats,  of  any  I  have  seen  in  the  south."  This 
was  the  house  of  John  Doub,  father  of  the  late  Peter 
Doub.  His  house,  from  the  time  ( 1780)  Methodism  was 
introduced  into  that  section  of  the  state,  was  a  regular 
preaching  place  on  the  circuit.  In  that  class  alone,  Peter 
Doub  said,  there  had  been  fourteen  ministers  raised  up. 
No  wonder  Lorenzo  Dow  was  highly  pleased  with  the 
arrangement  for  service  here,  and  no  doubt  he  was  equally 


The  Period  of  Revivals.  325 

as  well  pleased  with  the  kindly  Christian  spirit  with  which 
he  was  received. 

On  the  nth'  Dow  spoke  at  "Stokes  Courthouse,  three 
thousand,  a  solemn  time;  left  my  mare,  and  procuring  a 

horse,  proceeded  to  Mr.  M 's;  felt  awfully;  delivered 

my  message  as  in  the  presence  of  the  dread  Majesty  of 
heaven,  which  greatly  shocked  the  family,  considering 
some  circumstances  in  the  same."1 

He  speaks  highly  of  the  Presbyterians  in  North  Caro- 
lina, whose  meetinghouses  were  generally  at  his  service, 
and  he  was  pleased  with  their  ministers  "who  appeared," 
he  says,  "like  pious  men,  with  the  spirit  o>f  liberty."  These 
quotations  are  sufficient  to  show  something  of  the  man 
and  his  work.  Coming  at  the  time  he  did,  God  no  doubt 
used  him  to  push  forward  the  great  work  of  grace  that 
was  sweeping  over  the  country. 

During  this  revival  there  was  much  excitement,  and 
the  emotional  played  a  very  prominent  part  in  the  exer- 
cises.   To  some  of  .this  there  was  much  objection,  but  the 


work  went  on.  While  this  excitement  was  violently  de- 
nounced by  some,  it  was  ardently  vindicated  by  others. 
Even  Bishop  George,  while  on  the  Guilford  Circuit  in 
1792,  was  so  offended  at  the  scenes  he  witnessed  as  to  be 
tempted  to  leave  his  post.  There  were  evidently  pecul- 
iarities in  the  exercises  he  witnessed,  which  he  calls  "ex- 
travagances." 

This  excitement  attended  revivals  of  religion,  and  was 
Uargely  peculiar  to  Methodism.     Where  there  was  no  ex- 

^ritings  of  Dow,  page  225. 


326  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

citement  and  no  emotion,  there  was  generally  no  life; 
hence  we  should  be  slow  to  condemn  it.  "Extravagant 
manifestations,  excessive  and  extreme  exhibitions  of  feel- 
ing, are  both  unnatural  and  unscriptural ;  but  a  natural 
expression  of  inward  peace  and  joy  under  proper  circum- 
stances is  both  scriptural  and  natural.  When  we  are 
pleased,  we  smile;  when  we  are  merry,  we  laugh;  when 
we  are  rejoiced,  we  shout.  A  shout  is  the  consummation 
of  a  smile."1  There  can  be  no  well-grounded  objections 
to  a  man  shouting  over  his  sins  forgiven,  or  when  he  has 
found  the  "pearl  of  great  price."  No  one  objects  to  the 
shout  of  the  politician  except  his  opponent.  Shouting  is 
only  offensive  when  the  thing  that  produces  it.  is  offensive. 
It  cannot  be  unbecoming  in  itself;  for  people  shout  in 
every  department  of  life,  and  there  is  no  objection.  From 
1800  to  1805  there  was  being  made  in  North  Carolina  a 
campaign  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  they  were  re- 
turning to  God  by  the  score  and  by  the  hundred.  Why 
should  they  not  shout  as  they  saw  such  demonstrations  of 
the  wonderful  power  of  God.  It  would  have  been  strange 
if  they  had  not  shouted. 

The  effect  of  this  revival  upon  the  Church  was  very 
marked.  Methodism  began  in  a  revival,  and  it  has  had 
its  growth  in  its  native  element.  The  revival  period  of 
which  we  are  considering  began  about  1798,  and  that  year 
there  was  a  membership  in  North  Carolina  of  6,401  whites1 
and  1,810  colored.  And  in  1805  they  reported  9,727 
whites  and  2,163  colored,  making  an  increase  in  seven 

Sermons  of  Dr.  N.  F.  Reid,  page  370. 


The  Period  of  Revivals.  327 

years  of  3,326  white  and  353  colored.  This  shows  a  large 
income  in  the  way  of  membership  in  the  Methodist 
Church,  while  the  increase  in  other  Churches  from  the  ef- 
fects of  these  reivals  was  very  great  and  gratifying^  The 
whole  Church  was  quickened ;  Methodism  was  more  thor- 
oughly established,  and  was  now  more  fully  prepared  for 
larger  and  greater  conquests.  Its  foundations  had  been 
laid  with  the  blood  of  its  itinerant  heroes;  they  had  suf- 
fered al  kinds  of  persecutions,  hardships,  and  privations. 
This  revival  wave  gave  them  encouragement  and  strength 
for  further  and  grander  victories. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

CAMP   MEETINGS. 

Origin  of  Camp  Meetings — The  Idea  Suggested  by  Necessity — 
Great  Revival  Began  in  the  Forest.  First  Camp  Meeting  in  1794 
in  Lincoln  County — John  McGee — Account  of  His  Work  in  the 
West — Old  Union  in  Randolph.  One  Near  Statesville — Account 
Given  by  Philip  Bruce.  Morganton.  Shepherd's  Cross  Roads  in 
Iredell.  Rutherford  County.  Scarboro's  Meetinghouse  in  Mont- 
gomery County.  Swan  Creek.  Presiding  Elder  Leading  the 
Movement    in    Cape    Fear.      Rockingham.      Howe's    Conversion. 

(How  the  Revival  Spread.  Camp  Meetings  in  the  Yadkin  Valley. 
Jonathan  Jackson  Writes  from  the  Newbern  District.  Great 
Blessing  to   Early  Methodism. 

Hail,  sacred  grove !     Thou  blest  retreat ! 

Where,  lo !  the  sons  of  God  retire, 
To  worship  in  communion  sweet, 

And  after  joys  divine  aspire: 
For  thee  the  numbers  soft  shall  rise, 
On  seraphs  wing  above  the  skies. 


Around  the  camp  the  power  divine 
Descends  upon  the  saints  below; 

Immortal  emanations  shine, 
The  streams  of  life  divinely  flow; 

The  grateful  tear  which  wets  the  eye 

Speaks  to  the  soul  that  God  is  nigh. 


The  camp  meeting  originated  in  the  great  revival  during 
I  the  last  decade  of  the  eighteenth  century;  though  it  is 
(commonly  believed  to  have  resulted  from  the  great  sacra- 
mental meetings  held  by  the  Presbyterians  and  partici- 
pated in  by  the  Methodists  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee 
early  in  the  nineteenth  century.     But  it  will  be  seen  that 
this  idea  was  carried  west  by  Rev.  John  McGee,  who  had 
(328) 


CAMP    MEETING. 


Camp  Meetings.  329 

frequently  attended  such  meetings  in  North  Carolina  years 
_befo_re.     These  gatherings,  so  far  as  we  know,  originated 
in  Lincoln  county  about  the  year  1789  or  1790.     Daniel 
Asbury  and  John  McGee  were  at  that  time  missionaries 
in  a  large  territory  west  of  the  Catawba  River.    The  coun- 
try was  just  being  settled  by  immigrants  attracted  thither 
by  the  fertility  of  the  soil.    There  were  no  church  edifices  \/te£d 
at  first,  so  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  meet  in  groves,  j 
\  The  meetings  thus  held  in  the  forest  were  blessed  with 
great  revivals,  the  people  coming  for  many  miles  from  the 
scattered  settlements,  camping  for  days  and  nights  and 
participating  in  the  religious  worship.     In  this  way  the 
camp  meeting  originated  out  of  the  necessities  of  the  time^J 
It  was  destined  to  be  a  strong  arm  of  Methodism. 

Dr.  Shipp,  in  his  "History  of  Methodism  in  South 
Carolina,"  says:  "The  first  Methodist  church  in  North 
Carolina  west  of  the  Catawba  River  was  built  in  Lincoln 
county  in  1791,  in  the  neighborhood  in  which  Daniel  As- 
bury settled  when  he  located,  and  was  called  Rehoboth. 
Before  the  erection  of  this  church,  the  congregation  was 
accustomed  to  worship  in  the  grove  in  the  midst  of  which 
it  was  built,  and  these  meetings  in  the  forest  resulted  in 
great  good,  and  were  often  continued  throughout  the  day 
and  night.  \  In  1794  the  leading  male  members  of  the 
church  consulted  together  and  agreed  to  hold  a  camp 
meeting  in  this  forest  for  a  number  of  days  and  nights^ 
The  meeting  was  accordingly  appointed,  and  was  con- 
ducted by  Daniel  Asbury,  William  McKendree  (after- 
wards made  bishop),  Nicholas  Walters,  and  William  Ful- 
wood,  who  were  efficiently  aided  by  Dr.  James  Hall,  a 


33°  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

celebrated  pioneer  preacher  among  the  Presbyterians  in 
Iredell  county.  The  success  of  this  first  camp  meeting,  at 
which  it  was  estimated  that  three  hundred  souls  were  con- 
verted, led  to  the  appointment  of  another  the  following 
year  (1795)  at  Bethel,  about  a  mile  from  the  famous 
Rock  Spring;  and  subsequently  of  yet  another  by  Daniel 
Asbury  and  Dr.  Hall,  which  was  known  as  the  great 
Union  Camp  Meeting  at  Shepherd's  Cross  Roads,  in  Ire- 
dell county." 

After  camp  meetings  were  fully  developed,  it  came 
about  that  many  a  circuit  would  have  somewhere  within 
its  bounds  a  camp  ground,  where  these  great  annual  gath- 
erings were  held.  The  camp  ground  established  for  the 
Lincoln  Circuit  (for  it  was  of  that  region  that  Dr.  Shipp 
writes)  was  changed  in  181 5  from  Bethel  to  Robey's 
Church  (Friendship),  and  in  1828  to  the  Rock  Spring, 
where  such  meetings  have  been  held  until  this  day. 

The  name  of  Rev.  John  McGee  has  been  associated  with 
the  origin  of  camp  meetings  in  the  west.  McGee  entered 
the  Methodist  itinerancy  in  1788.  He  was  born  in  Guil- 
ford county.1  His  father  died  while  he  was  quite  young, 
and  his  mother  married  a  Mr.  William  Bell,  who  lived  on 
Deep  River  near  the  road  leading  from  Greeensboro  to 
Asheboro.  His  mother  and  stepfather  possessed  a  great 
deal  of  property,  but  did  not  enjoy  religion.     Bishop  As- 

'Some  state  that  he  was  born  near  the  Yadkin  River,  below  Salis- 
bury. He  was  bom  on  Sandy  Creek,  in  what  now  is  Randolph 
county.  His  father  was  Colonel  John  McGee,  and  owned  a  large 
amount  of  land,  a  mill,  and  a  country  store.  He  had  three  children, 
two  of  them  preachers — one,  William,  a  Presbyterian,  and  John,  a 
Methodist.  • 


Camp  Meetings.  331 

bury,  when  he  visited  the  family  in  January,  1790,  two 
years  after  John  had  entered  the  itinerancy,  made  this 
statement :  "Went  to  Mr.  Bell's,  on  Deep  River,  and  were 
received  in  the  kindest  manner;  before  I  left  the  house,  I 
felt  persuaded  that  the  family  would  come  to  experience 
the  power  of  religion."  The  bishop  stopped  here  again 
in  1792,  and  perhaps  after  this.  The  mother  of  John  Mc- 
Gee  was  a  very  remarkable  woman,  being  "of  strong 
mind,  ardent  in  her  temperament,  and  remarkably  firm 
and  resolute  in  whatever  she  undertook,  which  just  fitted 
her  for  the  trying  scenes  through  which  she  was  called  to 
pass."1  She  professed  religion  in  the  great  revival  about 
the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  She  died  in  great 
peace,  September  9th,  1820,  about  eighty-five  years  of 
age. 

It  is  said  John  McGee  became  acquainted  with  the 
Methodists  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  and  ex- 
perienced the  joys  of  the  new  birth.  As  we  have  seen, 
he  was  associated  with  Daniel  Asbury  in  the  work  west  of 
the  Catawba  in  1789,  placed  in  charge  of  the  Lincoln  Cir- 
cuit in  1792,  located  in  1793 ;  but  he  remained  in  this  sec- 
tion where  camp  meetings  had  been  introduced,  and  be- 
came very  popular,  _until  in  1798  he  removed  to  Sumner 
county,  Tennessee.  His  brother,  William,  who  was  a 
Presbyterian  minister,  had  preceded  him.  While  there 
was  a  difference  in  the  doctrine  of  the  Presbyterian  and 
Methodist  Churches,  here  in  a  strange  land  the  difference 
was  not  great  enough  to  keep  them  from  uniting  their 

'"The  Old  North  State  in  1776,"  second  series,  published  1856, 
page  307. 


33 2  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

efforts  for  the  salvation  of  souls.      John  McGee  says, 
"We  loved  and  prayed  and  preached  together." 

In  1799  the  two  brothers  made  a  tour  together,  preach- 
ing at  many  newly  settled  places.  It  was  one  of  the  de- 
vices of  the  trip  that  John  recurred  to  the  camp  meetings 
which  he  had  attended  in  North  Carolina.  He  adopted 
the  idea,  and  it  became  popular.  It  exactly  suited  the 
new  western  country.  Its  novelty  helped  to  recommend 
it;  and  soon  it  was  widely  established.  John  McGee,  in 
giving  an  account  of  one  of  these  meetings,  says :  "Preach- 
ing commenced,  and  the  people  prayed,  and  the  power  of 
God  attended.  There  was  a  great  cry  for  mercy.  The 
nights  were  truly  awful ;  the  camp  ground  was  well  illumi- 
nated ;  the  people  were  differently  exercised  all  over  the 
ground,  some  exhorting,  some  shouting,  some  praying, 
and  some  crying  for  mercy,  while  others  lay  as  dead  men 
on  the  ground.  Some  of  the  spiritually  wounded  fled  to 
the  woods,  and  their  groans  could  be  heard  all  through 
the  surrounding  groves,   as  the  groans   of  dying  men. 

1  From  thence  many  came  into  the  camp,   rejoicing  and 

^  praising  God." 

Dr.  Foote,  in  his  "Sketches  of  North  Carolina,"  de- 
scribes a  meeting  held  at  Hawfield's  in  October,  1801,  in 
Mr.  Paisley's  charge  (Presbyterian),  that  he  claims  was 
the  first  camp  meeting  in  North  Carolina.  No  doubt  this 
was  the  one  held  at  Union,  on  Deep  River  in  Randolph 
county  in  this  state ;jbut  the  Methodists  had  been  holding 
such  meetings  for  several  years,  from  necessity,  as  they 
were  greatly  scattered  and  had  only  a  few  houses  of 
worship. 


Camp  Meetings.  333 

About  this  time  there  were  quite  a  number  of  union 
meetings  held,  participated  in  by  the  Methodists,  Presby- 
terians, and  Baptists.  One  of  the  first  of  such  meetings 
was  the  one  held  at  Union,  on  Deep  River  in  Randolph 
county.  It  was  held  the  last  week  of  December,  1801.1 
Peter  Claywell  says  his  father  and  mother  joined  the 
Methodists  in  Virginia  and  moved  to  North  Carolina  in 
1800  and  settled  near  Snow  Creek  in  Iredell  county.  He 
opened  his  house  for  preaching,  Daniel  Asbury  preaching 
there  regularly  during  1801  and  1802.  This  was  the  be- 
ginning of  Snow  Creek  Church,  which  appears  on  the 
records  of  the  Yadkin  Circuit  in  1802  as  Clay  well's.  The 
son  of  Peter  Claywell  was  about  ninety  years  old  when  he 
wrote  a  letter  in  1876,  in  which  he  says :  "This  year,  1801, 
the  news  came  to  Iredell  that  the  Methodists  were  going 
to  hold  a  camp  meeting  in  Randolph  county,  which  was  a 
novel  idea  to  Presbyterians.  However,  James  Sharpe 
fixed  up  a  four-horse  wagon  and  took  his  own  family,  and 
went  to  the  camp  meeting  in  Randolph  county.  And 
when  they  came  back,  they  came  with  a  new  religion;  and 
from  that  the  fire  began  to  spread.  There  was  preaching 
or  prayer  meeting  nearly  every  night  in  the  week  at  some 
of  the  neighboring  houses."2  It  is  further  stated  that  the 
revival  continued  for  several  years.  In  their  meetings 
they  would  pray  to  the  "God  of  Randolph." 

Dr.  Foote,  in  his  "Sketches  of  North  Carolina,"  gives 

'James  Needham,  who  lived  to  be  nearly  a  hundred  years  old, 
said  it  began  on  Christmas  day,  1801.  Peter  Claywell,  who  lived 
to  be  very  old,  said  it  was  in  1801.  Dr.  Foote  says  it  was  held  the 
first  week  in  January,  1802. 

2Manuscript  letter  written  to  Dr.  M.  L.  Wood  in  1876. 


334  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

a  very  vivid  description  of  this  meeting.  He  says  that  it 
was  appointed  by  Dr.  David  Caldwell,  of  Guilford,  and 
that  he  had  invited  his  brethren  west  of  the  Yadkin  to 
attend ;  and  that  four  of  their  ministers  and  about  a  hun- 
dred of  their  people  accepted  the  invitation.  Dr.  Mc- 
Corkle,  of  Rowan;  Rev.  L.  F.  Wilson,  of  Iredell;  J.  D. 
Kilpatrick,  of  Third  Creek;  and  Dr.  James  Hall,  attend- 
ed. The  preachers  reached  the  ground  on  Friday  and 
took  part  in  the  services.  Dr.  Hall's  people  got  with- 
in five  miles  of  the  place  of  meeting  on  Friday  evening, 
and  then  became  very  much  exercised,  all  becoming  more 
or  less  affected.  They  could  not  understand  the  bodily 
exercises,  by  some  called  "the  jerks,"  which  attended 
these  meetings.  But  they  soon  became  satisfied  that  the 
excitement  was  a  revival  of  true  religion.  And  before 
their  return  home  more  than  nine-tenths  of  them  were 
deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of  the  great  importance  of 
salvation.1  j  Dr.  Hall  said  that  since  the  Randolph  meet- 
ing religion  had  made  rapid  progress  among  his  people, 
and  that  there  was  not  an  opposer  among  them ;  and  that 
there  were  only  two  denominations  that  claimed  the  Chris- 
tian name  that  opposed  the  work. 

When  the  people  of  Iredell  returned  from  the  Randolph 
meeting  they  had  the  revival  spirit,  they  talked  of  the 
meeting,  sang  the  revival  songs,  until  there  was  a  general 
desire  for  a  similar  meeting  nearer  home.  So  in  about  a 
month,  or  the  last  week  in  January,  1802,  there  was  a 
general,  or  union,  meeting  held  near  Statesville.     "The 

Toote's  "Sketches  of  North  Carolina,"  New  York,  1846,  page 
333. 


Camp  Meetings.  335 

number  of  wagons  which  came  to  the  ground,  besides  rid- 
ing carriages,  was  about  one  hundred  and  eight."  The 
number  attending  on  Sunday  was  about  four  thousand. 
Soon  after  the  service  opened  on  Friday,  the  rain  began 
to  fall,  and  continued  until  near  night.  Great  interest  pre- 
vailed. The  sleet  began  to  fall  next  morning,  then  snow 
and  rain,  which  continued  until  late  in  the  afternoon ;  "and 
the  day  was  without  exception  the  most  inclement  of  any 
during  the  whole  winter."  Yet  the  people  of  all  ages  and 
sexes  stood  there  exposed  deeply  affected,  and  hundreds 
were  converted.  There  were  two  Methodist  preachers, 
one  Baptist,  and  several  Presbyterians.  Rev.  Philip 
Bruce,  presiding  elder  on  the  Richmond  District,  but  who 
found  time  to  do  much  work  in  North  Carolina,  writes 
of  this  meeting  in  June,  1802,  saying:  "The  Presbyterian 
preachers  in  Iredell  county  were  in  favor  of  the  work,  and 
invited  me  to  assist  them  at  a  sacramental  occasion,  to  be 
held  by  encampment  near  Statesville  about  the  middle  of 
February,  1802.1  They  met  at  the  time  and  place  ap- 
pointed. On  Friday  there  were  present  seven  or  eight 
Presbyterian  ministers. 

"From  Saturday  till  Tuesday  ten  o'clock,  the  cries  of 
the  wounded,  and  singing,  continued  without  intermis- 
sion ;  near  one  hundred  were  apparently  under  the  opera- 
tions of  grace  at  a  time.  But  it  was  not  possible  to  ascer- 
tain the  number  that  found  peace  and  deliverance;  the 
probability  is,  if  the  meeting  had  continued  longer  the  con- 
sequence would  have  been  wonderful. 

1In  the  date  there  is  a  little  conflict  between  Bruce  and  Foote's 
"Sketches  of  North  Carolina."  The  latter  says  the  last  week  in 
January. 


336  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

"The  public  congregation  was  dismissed  at  ten  o'clock 
on  Tuesday.  It  was  a  common  circumstance  for  compa- 
nies to  retire  from  the  camp  for  private  devotion,  and  some 
of  them  to  be  struck  down  in  the  woods,  and  for  single 
persons  when  thus  retired  to  alarm  their  friends  in  the 
camp  with  their  cries.  On  Monday  evening  numbers  left 
the  camp,  and  I  suppose  not  more  than  three  or  four  hun- 
dred remained. 

"I  agreed  to  continue  with  them,  as  did  two  or  three 
other  ministers ;  I  told  some  of  the  mourners  if  they  would 
come  to  the  tent  where  I  was,  I  would  spend  the  whole 
night  with  them  in  prayer.  Soon  after  they  came  to- 
gether, a  young  man  told  us  that  he,  with  his  companions, 
had  left  the  camp  in  the  morning  and  went  to  a  whisky 
house;  and  while  one  of  the  company  was  blaspheming, 
he  was  struck  with  such  dread  and  horror  that  he  quit  his 
wicked  companions  and  returned  to  the  camp  and  joined 
in  with  the  first  praying  company  he  met  with,  and  the 
Lord  manifested  his  pardoning  love  to  his  soul.  This 
simple  relation  had  the  most  surprising  effect  on  the  con- 
gregation. A  young  woman  who  was  taking  some  re- 
freshment cried  out  that  she  was  feasting  her  body,  and 
her  poor  soul  was  in  danger  of  perishing  to  all  eternity. 
The  cry  for  mercy  became  general  throughout  our  large 
tent,  and  fifteen  or  sixteen  rose  before  morning,  shouting, 
praising,  and  giving  glory  to  God  for  pardoning  mercy; 
at  the  same  time  the  work  was  being  carried  on  in  the 
other  tents.  Through  the  course  of  the  meeting  many  old 
professors,  who  had  been  in  full  communion  for  years  in 
the  regular  congregations,  were  stripped  of  the  garments 


Camp  Meetings.  337 

of  their  own  making  and  cast  away  their  old  religion,  as  it 
was  termed,  and,  with  repenting  publicans,  began  to  cry 
aloud  for  mercy,  until  they  had  found  the  sinner's  Friend. 
After  this  meeting  was  dismissed,  some  were  found  by  the 
wayside,  others  were  struck  in  the  wagons ;  some  returned 
home  praising  and  shouting,  others  crying  for  mercy. 
This  may  serve  as  a  sample  of  the  work  that  God  is  carry- 
ing on  in  this  once  abandoned  part  of  the  country,  where 
thirty  years  ago  a  living  minister  and  a  living  Christian 
could  scarcely  be  found ;  now  there  are  scores  of  ministers 
and  hundreds  of  Christians."1  Two  weeks  after  this 
meeting  another  was  held  near  Morganton.  Dr.  Foote 
says,  "The  country  there  is  thinly  inhabited  and  the  pro- 
fessors of  religion  few  in  number."  The  meeting  was  well 
attended,  considering  the  condition  of  the  country. 

By  this  time  the  whole  country  was  in  a  state  of  great 
excitement  over  the  demonstrations  witnessed  in  these 
meetings.  It  was  the  subject  of  conversation.  The  peo- 
ple in  North  Carolina  were  stirred  on  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion as  they  had  never  been  before  or  since.  Another 
meeting  had  been  appointed  for  the  second  week  in  March 
at  the  Shepherd's  Cross  Roads  in  the  southern  part  of  Ire- 
del  county.  This  was  the  best  attended  of  any  meeting 
up  to  that  time.  "The  number  of  wagons,  besides  riding 
carriages,  was  two  hundred  and  sixty-two.  _The  meeting 
continued  from  Friday  until  Tuesday^  Hundreds  were 
crying  aloud  for  mercy.  There  were  four  places  of  wor- 
ship, and  the  number  attending  on  Sunday  was  estimated 


'Extracts  of  Letters  of  the  Preachers,"  1805,  pages  37"39- 
22 


338  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

to  be  eight  or  ten  thousand."  These  meetings  continued 
for  days  and  nights  without  cessation.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  country  was  thinly  settled,  and  that  a  con- 
gregation of  a  thousand  meant  much  then. 

The  first  camp  meeting  held  in  Rutherford  county  was 
in  1802,  about  eight  miles  from  the  courthouse.  Rev. 
James  Jenkins  says :  "The  same  power  attended  the  meet- 
ing; thousands  were  present;  many  poor  sinners  felt  the 
power  of  God,  and  were  raised  up  to  testify  that  he  had 
forgiven  their  sins."  Thomas  L.  Douglass,  Daniel  As- 
bury,  and  several  Presbyterian  ministers  were  present. 
The  Methodists  had  another  camp  meeting  at  the  Hang- 
wjng  Rock.  Fifteen  ministers  and  about  three  thousand 
people  were  present.  The  work  began  on  Friday  night. 
The  preachers  were  singing,  praying,  or  preaching  all 
night.  "Saturday  evening  it  began  again  at  the  stand. 
Sabbath  evening,  at  the  close  of  the  sacrament,  some  fell 
to  the  earth,  and  the  exercises  continued  the  whole  night. 
Monday  morning  the  people  came  together  again  and 
began  singing  and  exhorting:  the  Lord  wrought  again, 
and  this  was  the  greatest  time.  They  were  crying  for 
mercy  on  all  sides."1 

There  was  another  camp  meeting  in  1802  held  at  Scar- 
boro's  meetinghouse  in  Little  Pee  Dee  Circuit.  This 
church  is  known  now  as  Zion ;  it  is  near  Mount  Gilead  in 
Montgomery  county.  In  the  Quarterly  Conference  held 
in  connection  with  the  camp  meeting,  they  unanimously 
asked  that  Rev.  James  Jenkins  preach  on  the  subject  of 

'"Extracts  of  Letters  of  the  Preachers,"  1805,  page  29. 


/ 


Camp  Meetings.  339 

baptism,  and  as  a  result  Rev.  Thomas  Nelson,  the  pastor, 
baptized  thirty  adults  on  his  next  round, __some_o^them^ 
having  been  raised  Quakers  and  some  Baptists.1  Henry  , 
Ledbetter  preached  one  night  after  most  of  the  preachers 
had  retired,  and  six  or  seven  persons  professed  religion. 
There  was  present  at  this  meeting  a  preacher  who  created 
a  great  deal  of  disturbance  by  holding  controversies  about 
through  the  grounds,  until  Rev.  James  Jenkins,  the  pre- 
siding elder,  told  him  he  ought  to  quit  preaching  or  quit 
getting  drunk.  He  asked  when  he  had  been  drunk?  "A 
brother  standing  by  said,  T  saw  you  coming  from  the 
courthouse  drunk  the  other  day.'  He  became  silent,  and 
interrupted  no  more." 

Another  camp  meeting  was  held  soon  afterwards  at 
Town  Creek  near  Wilmington.  Here  the  rain  interfered 
greatly  with  the  success  of  the  meeting,  as  the  tents  would 
not  keep  out  the  rain.  Many  became  discouraged  and  left. 
The  tents  at  that  day  were  very  rude  constructions.  The 
plan  was  in  its  infancy,  so  there  was  no  proper  method  of 
constructing  tents.  Some  were  made  of  cloth;  "others 
were  shelters  covered  with  pine  bark," — none  of  which 
would  keep  out  the  rain.  None  of  them  were  large  enough 
to  hold  public  worship.  Little  was  accomplished  until 
Sunday  morning,  when  the  interest  started  early  and  con- 
tinued all  day.  Many  souls  were  saved.  In  later  years_ 
the  tents  were  more  substantial,  and  were  built  on  a  larger 
scale :  while  the  great  arbor  was  erected  and  seats  ar- 
ranged  where  thousands  could   assemble  and  hear  the 

J"Life  of  James  Jenkins,"  page  1 19. 


34°  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

preaching.  With  these  improvements,  the  weather  did 
not  interfere  to  any  great  extent  with  the  services. 
yl  By  1803  camp  meetings  had  become  very  popular.  They 
were  held  in  almost  every  circuit.  The  presiding  elder 
was  the  leader.  During  1802  and  1803  James  Jenkins 
was  presiding  elder  over  all  that  territory  in  North  Caro- 
lina belonging  to  the  South  Carolina  Conference.  He 
was  "tall  and  commanding  in  person,  with  a  face,  even  in 
old  age,  expressive  of  great  energy  and  courage,  and  a 
voice,  until  impaired  by  long  use,  clear  and  trumpet- 
toned."  He  was  often  called  "Thundering  Jimmy."  He 
was  watchful  over  the  young  preachers,  and  was  always 
ready  to  correct  in  them  what  he  conceived  to  be  errors. 
He  did  this  until  he  was  styled  by  the  preachers  "the 
currycomb  of  the  Conference."  'During  the  year  1803 
he  attended  a  camp  meeting  at  Spedsborough,  in  the  Pee 
Dee  Circuit,  now  Rockingham.  Here  he  reproved  a  negro 
speculator,  and  the  man  took  him  out  in  company  with 
his  friends  to  speak  to  him.  He  told  Jenkins  he  had  heard 
some  bad  things  about  him.  "Ah,  indeed !"  said  Jenkins, 
"if  you  are  searching  for  evil  reports  against  me,  perhaps 
I  could  help  you  out."  Continuing  he  said,  "If  you  will 
go  to  a  certain  town  in  North  Carolina,  you  may  hear  that 
I  have  a  wife  and  two  children ;  and  then  you  can  go  down 
on  Edisto  and  they  will  tell  you  I  stole  a  bell."  Notwith- 
standing the  opposition  that  he  met  with  here  he  had  a 
good  meeting,  and  the  Lord  wonderfully  blessed  preach- 
er and  people. 

He  held   another  camp  meeting  this  year  on  Town 
Creek,  Bladen  Circuit,  near  Wilmington.    This  surpassed 


Camp  Meetings.  341 

all  preceding  ones  on  the  district  for  the  display  of  divine 
power.  It  attracted  the  people  of  Wilmington,  and  from 
miles  around  in  every  direction.  The  presiding  elder 
preached  on  Sunday  from  the  text,  "Joseph  said  unto  his 
brethren,  Come  near  me,  I  pray  you."  Before  he  had 
finished,  the  shouts  and  cries  of  the  people  completely 
drowned  his  voice.  The  people  from  Wilmington  were 
greatly  amazed  and  deeply  impressed.  General  Howe's 
son,  an  infidel,  attended  the  meeting  one  evening,  and 
"was  very  uneasy" ;  and  as  soon  as  he  could  see  the  road 
next  morning,  he  left.  "But  the  arrows  of  the  Almighty 
had  fastened  in  his  heart;  he  prayed,  and  his  cry  was,  'If 
Christ  be  God,  let  me  be  convinced.'  In  a  short  time  he 
had  such  a  view  of  Christ  crucified  that  he  lost  his  infi- 
delity and  sins  together,  and  became  a  happy,  rejoicing 
believer.  He  and  his  wife  were  now  reunited  in  peace." 
Samuel  Richardson  professed  religion  at  this  meeting, 
and  at  once  became  very  zealous,  talking  to  the  mourners 
and  praying  for  them.  This  was  the  rule  among  the  con- 
verts; as  soon  as  they  were  converted,  whether  old  or 
young,  they  turned  preachers  and  commenced  talking  to 
others.  The  fruits  of  Richardson's  conversion  did  not 
stop  at  the' meeting;  he  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
shouting  "Glory  to  God!"  He  told  his  wife  what  the 
Lord  had  done  for  him,  and  the  Spirit  pierced  her  heart, 
and  she  at  once  began  to  call  for  mercy.  The  servants 
came  in  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  and  they  all  got  down 
and  remained  until  they  obtained  pardon.  He  did  not 
stop  here,  but  began  to  hold  prayer  meetings,  and  by  the 
time  the  presiding  elder  reached  Mr.  Richardson's  neigh- 


342  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

borhood,  on  his  next  round,  fifty-two  had  professed  re- 
ligion. This  camp  meeting  was  a  great  blessing  to  the 
surrounding  country,  and  especially  to  the  town  of  Wil- 
mineton.  Here  its  influence  resulted  in  no  less  than  sev- 
enty  happy  conversions. 

They  had  another  meeting  on  the  Bladen  Circuit,  about 
ten  miles  from  Wilmington,  in  June,  1804,  when  there 
was  a  great  display  of  divine  power.  At  another  meeting 
in  Bladen,  near  Gantie's,  there  were  ten  preachers  and 
about  .sixteen  hundred  people.  This  was  the  greatest  of 
all  the  meetings  in  the  Cape  Fear  section.  "Many  sinners 
fell,  under  a  sense  of  guilt  and  danger,  and  cried  aloud, 
as  if  in  the  agonies  of  death.  Many  praised  God  for  par- 
doning love.  All  souls  were  made  subjects  of  the  work, 
rich  and  poor — from  the  hoary-headed  sinner  to  children 
nine  years  old.  Many  sinners  had  to  fly  from  the  ground, 
or  fall  under  the  power  of  God."  Here  about  a  hundred 
found  the  Lord. 

In  1802  camp  meetings  were  introduced  in  several 
places  in  the  Yadkin  valley.  During  the  year  1801  there 
was  one  near  Snow  Creek  Church,  in  Iredell  county.  Such 
meetings  were  held  here  almost  annually  for  nearly  a 
hundred  years.  The  preaching  place  was  at  Peter  Clay- 
well's.  The  church  which  grew  out  of  it  was  Snow  Creek. 
The  first  camp  meeting  was  attended  by  such  men  as  Jona- 
than Jackson,  presiding  elder  on  the  Newbern  District, 
Philip  Bruce,  and  Joseph  Moore.  "Jonathan  Jackson 
was  a  powerful"  preacher,  says  Peter  Clay  well,1  writing 

'Letter  written  by  Peter  Claywell  at  the  age  of  ninety,  dated  1876. 


Camp  Meetings.  343 

of  him  in  1876.     He  tells  of  another  meeting  held  in 
,8m  at  Trumpet  Branch,  near  where  Moss's  meetmg- 
house  now  stands.    Dr.  Hall,  Presbyterian,  attended  this 
meeting     Dr.  Peter  Doub,  in  his  Autobiography,  tells  of 
a  eamp  meeting  held  on  his  father's  land  in  1802,  in  which 
he  was  very  powerfully  impressed,  but  being  so  young  he 
was  not  encouraged  to  seek  religion.    He  says  tha   from 
this  time  on  these  meetings  "multiplied  and  extended      V 
throughout  Virginia,  North  and  South  Carolina.    They 
were  attended  by  immense  multitudes  of  people,  and  were 
productive  of  a  vast  amount  of  good.    In  those  primitive 
times  of  camp  meetings  the  people  assembled  for  purposes 
of  worship,  and  seemed  to  be  wholly  absorbed  m  the  exer- 
cises of  the  occasion.    Parade  and  show  were  then  utter 
strangers  on  such  occasions.    All  seemed  to  be  devoted  to 
preaching,  and  singing  and  prayer.    Many  were  the  seals 
of  the  ministry  in  those  days; ^ and  great  will  be  their 
crowns  of  rejoicing  in  eternity."1 

In  order  to  show  that  these  meetings  were  generally 
held  over  the  state,  early  in  the  century,  we  quote  from  a 
letter  written  by  Jonathan  Jackson,  presiding  elder  on  the 
Newbern  District,  to  show  something  of  what  was  going 
^  in  that  part  of  the  state.    He  says :  "The  greatest  times 
we  have  had  have  been  at  our  camp  meetings      Great 
pains  have  been  used  to  prevent  irregularities  and  disorder, 
which  has  so  far  won  the  hearts  of  the  people  to  them 
that  they  want  camp  meetings  almost  everywhere.     It  is 
impossible  to  tell  the  good  which  has  been  done  at  them; 
forwhile  some  have  been  crying  for  mercy,  others  shetrt- 
"'Memoir  of  Peter  Doub,"  written  by  himself,  manuscript. 


. 


344  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

ing  the  praises  of  the  Most  High,  there  would  not  be  a 
sinner  found  who  would  open  his  mouth  against  the  work. 
At  the  first  camp  meeting  I  suppose  there  were  twenty- 
seven  converted,  several  at  the  second  and  third,  about 
ten  at  the  fourth,  and  about  sixty-seven  at  the  last,  which 
was  held  in  my  district.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  district 
we  have  had  the  greatest  seasons  that  have  ever  been  seen ; 
and  I  hope  the  work  will  go  on  and  prosper."1 

These  camp  meetings  and  the  great  revival  that  swept 
over  North  Carolina  came  simultaneously.  The  results 
"  achieved  could  not  have  been  had  without  an  encampment, 
from  the  fact  that  the  country  was  so  sparsely  settled. 
These  meetings  brought  together  large  congregations  and 
helped  to  concentrate  public  thought  upon  religion.  The 
meetings  became  the  topic*  of  conversation.  In  the  great 
revival  of  this  period  thousands  were  brought  into  the 
Church.  We  have  seen  the  multitude  assembled  in  the 
woods,  singing  and  praying,  preaching  and  exhorting,  for 
days  and  nights  without  cessation.  The  encampments 
were  lighted  at  night  with  pine  torches  here  and  there  in 
the  grove,  while  the  stars  looked  down  from  above  the 
trees.  All  night  the  groans  of  the  penitents  agonizing 
for  pardon  and  the  shouts  of  the  saints  could  be  heard. 
Those  were  happy  seasons,  and  such  hallowed  scenes  be- 
long only  to  the  early  history  of  Methodism.  There  may 
be  objections  to  them  now,  but  nothing  could  take  their 
place  when  Methodism  was  being  introduced  into  the 
sparsely  settled  districts  of  North  Carolina. 

'"Extracts  of  Letters  of  the  Preachers,"  1805,  page  84. 


-a 


fcv^£  LI'    .; 


s^Ekg*  miff 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

TOILS  AND  TRIUMPHS  OF  THE  PIONEERS. 

Spirit  of  Heroism.  Little  is  Known  of  Many  of  These  Heroes — 
Gathering  up  Fragments  of  Their  History.  Asbury's  Journal — 
His  Prophecy.  Preparation  of  the  Pioneers — Their  Style  of 
Preaching.  Robert  Williams  in  Norfolk.  Dr.  Kilgo's  Estimate  of 
the  Itinerants — Their  Immense  Work.  Large  Fields — District 
Reaching  from  French  Broad  to  Mattamuskeet.  Circuit  Preach- 
ers on  the  Go  all  the  Time — Their  Hardships — Privations — Often 
Cold  and  Hungry — Their  "Record  is  on  High" — What  They  Have 
Accomplished  in  North  Carolina — Twenty-two  Circuits — Over 
Eleven  Thousand  Members — Furnished  Much  for  the  Whole 
Church. 

No  set  of  men  known  in  all  history  have  shown  the  heroic 
spirit  more  than  the  early  pioneers  of  Methodism  in  North 
Carolina.  They  possessed  every  element  of  the  heroic. 
They  braved  clangers,  endured  hardships  and  privations, 
labored  and  fought  in  many  a  conflict,  and  finally  tri- 
umphed gloriously. 

It  has  been  our  purpose  in  these  pages  to  describe  the 
scenes  and  labors  of  the  pioneers  of  early  Methodism  in 
North  Carolina,  and  to  gather  up  and  garner  the  fruits  of 
their  toils  and  sacrifices.  But  how  little  we  know  of  many 
of  these  dead  heroes!  Who  knows  where  their  precious 
ashes  repose?  "Who  can  paint  the  dangers  that  sur- 
rounded their  pathways,  or  depict  the  somber,  threatening 
skies  that  lowered  over  them?  Who  can  delineate  the 
bows  of  promise  that  arched  the  storms  that  beat  upon 
them,  or  give  a  voice  to  the  thunders  that  pealed  above 

(345) 


346  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

and  around  them  ?  Who  can  mingle  in  the  joys  that  filled 
their  overflowing  cups,  or  measure  the  faith  and  the 
courage  that  swelled  their  heroic  breasts?"  Who  can  tell 
of  the  friends  who  wiped  the  death  sweat  from  their 
brows,  and  went  with  them  to  the  brink  of  that  river  that 
separates  us  from  the  heavenly  land  ? 

Of  course  we  do  not  feel  competent  to  do  justice  to  the 
least  of  these  dead  heroes;  but  if  we  have  succeeded  in 
gathering  from  the  fragments  of  the  history  that  is  left  of 
them,  and  again  embalming  their  memories  for  this  gen- 
eration and  those  that  are  to  come,  it  will  have  been  a 
pleasing  task.  Their  examples  should  be  emulated,  but 
cannot  be,  for  they  are  not  known.  Let  us  walk  with 
them,  and  learn  of  them  as  they  learned  of  Christ.  The " 
lamented  Dr.  N.  F.  Reid,  never  uttered  a  more  eloquent 
and  beautiful  sentiment  than  when,  in  speaking  of  these 
pioneers,  he  said :  "God  bless  the  memory  of  our  fathers 
and  breathe  their  spirit  on  us !  The  most  sacred  walks  on 
this  continent  are  their  circuit  paths,  the  holiest  spots  are 
the  repositories  where  they  have  been  laid  in  their  last 
sleep,  the  loveliest  flowers  seen  by  mortals  are  those  that 
bloom  above  their  graves,  symbols  of  their  brighter  glory." 

Bishop  Asbury's  Journal  reveals  more  concerning  the 
toils,  hardships,  and  difficulties  endured  by  the  pioneers 
than  any  other  work  extant.  In  speaking  of  his  Journal, 
he  makes  this  comment  and  prophecy :  "I  have  well  con- 
sidered my  Journal;  it  is  inelegant,  yet  it  conveys  much 
information  of  the  state  of  the  religion  and  country.  I 
make  no  doubt  the  Methodists  are,  and  will  be,  a  numer- 
ous and  wealthy  people,  and  their  preachers  who  follow 


Toils  and  Triumphs  of  the  Pioneers.  347 

us  will  not  know  our  struggles  but  by  comparing  the  pres- 
ent improved  state  of  the  country  with  what  it  was  in  our 
day,  as  exhibited  in  my  Journal  and  other  records  of  that 
day."  His  Journal  is  of  incomparable  value,  and  his 
prophecy  has  been  fulfilled.  Asbury  stands  chief  among 
the  Methodist  pioneers.  He  visited  North  Carolina  once 
or  twice  a  year  for  a  number  of  years,  superintending  the 
work,  preaching  and  holding  Conferences.  In  his  Journal 
he  recounts  many  hardships  and  trying  experiences.  He 
was  regarded  as  the  leader  in  this  movement.  In  the  pre- 
vious chapters  a  number  of  less  prominent  pioneers  have 
been  noticed.  For  want  of  data,  little  is  said  about  many 
of  them.    In  discussing  them  as  a  class,  let  us  notice, 

I.  Their  Preparation  for  the  Work. 

This  pioneer  work  required  a  type  of  manhood  which 
could  meet  much  physical  endurance.  A  young  man 
reared  in  luxury  and  ease,  however  well  prepared  other- 
wise, was  not  suited  to  the  hardships  incident  to  the  life 
of  an  itinerant  preacher.  Daniel  Asbury  while  with  the 
Indians  in  captivity  received  a  preparation  for  the  itin- 
erant ministry  that  he  could  not  have  obtained  anywhere 
else.  He  learned  something  of  the  side  of  life  which  he 
frequently  met  in  after  years.  He  knew  how  to  endure 
hardships,  and  live  on  a  rough  diet,  that  would  have 
driven  others  without  such  preparation  to  the  local  ranks. 
It  was  more  necessary  for  them  to  know  how  to  live  on 
the  salary  paid  than  it  was  for  them  to  be  able  to  read  the 
original  in  Hebrew  and  Greek.  At  the  first,  if  they  were 
paid  in  full,  they  received  only  sixty -four  dollars  a  year. 


348  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

The  man  who  could  not  measure  his  wants  by  this  sum 
was  not  a  suitable  person  for  the  itinerancy,  however  well 
he  might  have  been  qualified  in  other  respects.  So  there 
were  qualifications  at  that  day,  as  there  are  to-day,  that 
cannot  be  conferred  upon  an  individual  by  any  college. 

According  to  our  standards  of  an  education  at  the  pres- 
ent, very  few  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Methodism  would 
have  been  considered  educated.  And  yet  where  could  a 
set  of  men  be  found  who  were  better  qualified  for  the  work 
in  hand  than  those  who  planted  Methodism  in  North  Caro- 
lina? Of  course  they  did  not  have  the  educational  ad- 
vantages that  we  claim  for  our  preachers  of  to-day.  But 
they  did  have  the  power  of  an  eloquence  that  swayed  the 
multitudes  and  brought  souls  to  Christ.  There  were  no 
theological  colleges,  more  than  what  was  known  as  the 
"Brush  College" — that  is,  large  circuits  where  the  Confer- 
ence broke  in  its  young  preachers.  Upon  such  laborious 
fields  many  of  our  most  prominent  preachers  took  their 
first  lessons  in  the  itinerancy.  Here,  amid  the  dense  for- 
ests and  flowing  streams,  the  itinerant  pored  over  his 
books  on  horseback  as  he  traveled  to  distant  appointments ; 
and  here,  amid  the  deep  glens  and  craggy  mountains,  the 
preacher  often  caught  the  sublimest  inspirations.  In  those 
long  rides  across  the  plains  of  the  east,  of  the  mountains 
of  the  west,  amid  the  solitudes  of  the  forest,  he  had  time 
to  commune  with  nature  and  to  meditate  upon  those  great 
truths  that  he  had  been  called  to  proclaim.  This  was  his 
school  room,  with  all  nature  to  teach  him.  To  do  more 
study  than  this,  he  had  no  time.  His  books  were  few. 
His  Bible  and  Discipline  were  his  principal  books.    And  as 


Toils  and  Triumphs  of  the  Pioneers.  349 

John  Bunyan  in  Bedford  jail,  shut  up  with  his  old  Bible 
and  Concordance,  was  enabled  to  map  out  the  path  of  life 
and  picture  the  glories  of  heaven  and  gloom  of  hell  with 
a  vividness  that  made  them  seem  real,  so  these  men  of  God, 
confined  to  the  little  library  which  they  carried  in  their 
saddlebags  as  they  traversed  the  lonely  paths  through 
dense  forests,  received  inspirations  from  God  and  his  Book 
that  made  their  words  cut  like  two-edged  swords.  They 
did  not  deal  in  metaphysical  speculation  or  lose  themselves 
in  the  fogs  of  philosophy ;  but  bathing  their  vision  in  the 
eternal  sunshine  of  truth,  they  came  into  the  pulpit,  like 
Moses  from  the  burning  mountain,  full  of  love  and  radiant 
with  glory. 

These  itinerants  preached  with  an  oratory  that  was 
peculiar  to  the  Wesleyan  movement.  It  originated  with 
George  Whitefield.  He  and  those  connected  with  Wesley 
in  England  and  America  revolutionized  the  prevalent  style 
of  preaching.  They  had  a  message  from  God;  and  they 
realized  the  "woe"  that  was  pronounced  upon  them  if  they 
did  not  deliver  it.  With  a  burning  conviction  that  their 
message  was  one  of  truth,  they  took  their  lives  in  their 
hands  and  went  everywhere  to  declare  it.  Then  the  love 
of  Christ  constrained  them  to  go  and  preach,  and  suffer 
for  him.  Their  preaching  was  for  immediate  results. 
With  prophetic  eye  they  saw  the  future  doom  of  the  lost 
soul,  and  its  only  way  of  refuge.  Hence  they  preached 
with  great  earnestness,  and  with  a  zeal  that  was  new  to 
the  people  of  America. 

An  instance  of  this  is  seen  in  the  visit  of  Robert  Wil- 
liams to  Norfolk  in  the  year  1772.    When  he  entered  the 


35°  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

town,  "without  any  previous  notice  being  given,  he  went 
to  the  courthouse,  and  standing  on  the  steps  of  the  door, 
and  beginning  to  sing,  the  people  collected  together ;  and 
after  prayer,  he  took  his  text  and  preached  to  a  consid- 
erable number  of  hearers,  who  were  very  disorderly,  as 
they  all  thought  the  preacher  was  a  madman;  and  while 
he  was  preaching  the  people  were  laughing,  talking,  and 
walking  about  in  all  directions.  The  general  conclusion 
was,  that  they  had  never  heard  such  a  man  before;  for, 
they  said,  sometimes  he  would  preach,  then  he  would  pray, 
then  he  would  swear,  and  at  times  he  would  cry.  The  peo- 
ple were  so  little  used  to  hearing  a  preacher  say  'hell,'  or 
'devil,'  in  preaching,  that  they  thought  he  was  swearing, 
when  he  told  them  about  going  to  hell,  or  being  damned, 
if  they  died  in  their  sins.  As  he  was  believed  to  be  a  mad- 
man, none  of  them  invited  him  to  their  houses.  However, 
he  preached  at  the  same  place  the  next  day,  when  they  had 
found  out  he  was  not  insane,  and  they  were  glad  to  get 
him  to  their  houses."  Williams  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina,  and  organized  the  first 
society  there. 

Dr.  J.  C.  Kilgo,  in  speaking  of  the  itinerant  preacher, 
in  his  fraternal  address  before  the  General  Conference  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  1904,  says:  "What  a 
mighty  man  the  itinerant  was !  Free  from  pompous  pre- 
tense, unheralded  by  the  blast  of  trumpets,  lacking  the  cre- 
dentials of  earthly  courts,  without  the  equipage  of  wealth, 
not  certified  by  lordly  society,  this  man,  the  Methodist 
circuit  rider,  stands  the  peer  of  any  man  or  set  of  men  who 
helped  to  build  this  republic.    The  desire  and  expectation 


Toils  and  Triumphs  of  the  Pioneers.  351 

of  worldly  gain  did  not  mar  his  motives.  He  had  no  wish 
for  social  applause,  he  sought  no  indulgence  at  the  hands 
of  patronizing  luxury,  and  did  not  crave  personal  com- 
forts; but,  like  a  man  upon  whom  rested  the  prophetic 
commission  of  the  eternal  throne,  he  went  to  his  task  as 
one  bent  on  a  desperate  mission.  Serenity  was  on  his 
face,  a  heavenly  radiance  was  in  his  eye,  the  tone  of  eter- 
nal authority  was  in  his  voice,  and  the  strength  of  a  divine 
inspiration  steadied  his  step.  He  obeyed  the  behest  of 
Heaven  and  went  everywhere,  threading  tangled  wilder- 
nesses, climbing  over  wild  mountains,  and  penetrating 
dense  swamps;  and  wherever  he  went  he  delivered  the 
word  of  God  with  miraculous  power.  He  did  not  peddle 
indulgence  to  sensuous  society,  he  made  no  concessions  to 
popular  evils,  he  softened  no  word  of  truth  in  order  to 
promote  his  personal  comfort,  nor  was  he  a  mendicant  of 
any  kind  of  worldly  favors.  He  was  a  'prophet  sent  of 
God,'  and  the  tone  of  Sinaitic  thunder  was  in  his  words 
while  he  waged  unceasing  war  against  sin  in  all  places. 
He  arbitrated  no  differences  between  righteousness  and 
sin,  God  and  Satan,  but  proclaimed  an  eternal  antagonism 
between  them  never  to  be  adjusted  by  any  other  method 
than  by  the  everlasting  defeat  of  evil.  He  has  left  his 
record  in  an  eternally  established  boundary  between  truth 
and  falsehood,  righteousness  and  sin,  a  boundary  which 
ecclesiastical  diplomats  of  these  last  times  seem  to  think 
extends  far  beyond  the  property  rights  of  God,  and  should 
be  drawn  in  to  suit  the  convenience  and  commerce  of 
Satan." 


352  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

II.  The  Vastness  and  Character  of  the  Field. 

Their  work  will  be  seen  by  a  glance  at  the  fields  they 
occupied.  If  presiding  elder,  his  district  extended  from 
the  mountains  to  the  sea;  for  at  one  time  a  presiding 
elder  had  in  his  district  nearly  all  of  North  Carolina,  only 
two  circuits  and  parts  of  one  or  two  others  being  in  an- 
other district.  On  the  west  was  the  French  Broad  Cir- 
cuit, and  on  the  east  Mattamuskeet.  That  territory  gives 
us  a  fair  idea  of  the  work  of  a  presiding  elder.  To  travel 
such  a  district  with  few  and  rough  roads  was  no  easy  task. 

The  circuit  preacher  fared  little  better,  if  any.  His 
circuit  was  large  enough  to  keep  him  on  the  go  all  the 
time,  except  stopping  occasionally  to  have  washing  done. 
There  were  usually  certain  places  on  the  circuit  which 
were  known  as  the  preachers'  homes.  Here  the  itinerant 
would  keep  his  books  and  any  extra  clothing  he  might 
have.  At  these  points  he  would  make  a  little  halt,  but 
otherwise  he  was  continually  going,  preaching  once  and 
twice  a  clay,  and  visiting  the  flock.  A  circuit  then  was 
often  as  large  as  one  of  our  districts  now.  It  was  impossi- 
ble for  him  to  have  any  home  more  than  that  mentioned 
above.  If  he  married  and  selected  a  home,  it  became  at 
once  necessary  for  him  to  locate.  And  every  year  many 
of  these  noble  men,  worn  out  in  body,  felt  the  necessity 
of  stopping  and  resting  for  a  few  years.  He  could  not  go 
to  his  appointments  on  Saturday  and  return  Monday  or 
Tuesday,  and  rest  in  the  quiet  of  his  own  home. 

Such  labor  wrecked  many  of  those  old  heroes.  With 
our  conveniences,  we  can  hardly  realize  how  they  survived 
as  long  as  they  did.    When  a  pioneer  went  to  his  new  field, 


Toils  and  Triumphs  of  the  Pioneers.  353 

there  were  no  warm  fires,  and  well-filled  larders,  and  en- 
couraging friends  to  meet  him.  Such  was  the  experience 
of  Robert  Williams  in  Norfolk,  with  no  one  to  invite  him 
home  with  him.  It  was  similar  with  Enoch  George  on 
the  head  waters  of  the  Catawba,  where  the  persecutions 
were  so  great  that  he  hesitated  to  tell  that  he  was  a  Meth- 
odist preacher;  and  with  Jesse  Richardson,  when,  after 
traveling  all  day  in  the  snow  and  cold,  dark  overtaking 
him  while  still  twelve  miles  from  his  destination,  he  was 
refused,  for  a  long  time,  even  admittance  to  the  fire  in  the 
little  log  cabin.  But  after  sitting  on  the  doorsteps  and 
singing  several  hymns,  the  hard-hearted  man  finally  soft- 
ened a  little  and  permitted  him  to  sit  by  the  fire  the  re- 
mainder of  the  night.  Next  morning,  without  breakfast 
for  man  or  beast,  he  pushed  his  way  across  the  mountain 
eighteen  inches  deep  in  snow,  twelve  miles  for  breakfast, 
and  then  on  to  his  appointment.  Such  was  their  faithful- 
ness in  filling  their  appointments  in  the  wide  territory  of 
their  circuits  that  "of  a  bitterly  cold  winter  it  became 
almost  a  proverbial  saying,  'There  is  nothing  out  to-day 
but  crows  and  Methodist  preachers.'  "  * 

Asbury  was  not  only  the  leader  in  pioneer  life,  but  he 
was  foremost  in  braving  hardship,  toil,  and  peril.  In  1788 
he  crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  as  he  did  fifty-eight 
times  in  thirty  years,  and  says :  "Our  course  lay  over 
mountains  and  through  valleys,  and  the  mud  and  mire 
were  such  as  might  scarcely  be  expected  in  December. 
We  came  to  an  old  forsaken  habitation.    Here  our  horses 

^aybold's  "Annals  of  Methodism." 
23 


354  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

grazed  about  while  we  broiled  our  meat.  Midnight 
brought  us  up  at  Jones's  after  riding  forty,  or  perhaps 
fifty,  miles.  The  old  man,  our  host,  was  kind  enough  to 
wake  us  up  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  We  journeyed 
on  through  devious,  lonely  wilds,  where  no  food  might  be 
found,  except  what  grew  in  the  woods  or  was  carried  with 
us." 

On  another  occasion  he  says :  "I  have  slept  in  the  woods 
without  necessary  food  or  raiment.  In  the  Southern  states 
I  have  waded  swamps,  and  led  my  horse  for  miles,  where 
I  took  colds  that  brought  on  the  diseases  which  are  now 
preying  on  my  system,  and  must  soon  terminate  in  death. 
But  my  mind  is  still  the  same — that  it  is  through  the 
merits  of  Christ  that  I  am  to  be  saved."1 

These  quotations  are  made  for  the  reason  that  what 
Asbury  suffered  others  suffered,  they  all  being  in  the  same 
work  and  traveling  over  the  same  territory ;  the  only  dif- 
ference being,  if  there  was  any  difference  shown  it  was 
shown  to  the  bishop.  He  recorded  his  experiences  to  some 
extent,  and  the  other  preachers  did  not  record  theirs.  He 
says :  "One  day,  as  I  was  traveling,  I  heard  a  loud  human 
voice,  and  a  prodigious  noise,  like  a  horse  running.  I  ran 
into  a  safe  place  and  hid  myself,  and  saw  a  company  of  In- 
dians pass  by,  furiously  driving  a  gang  of  horses  which 
they  had  stolen  from  the  white  people.  I  had  nothing  to 
subsist  upon  but  roots,  young  grapevines,  and  sweet  cane, 
and  such  like  produce  of  the  woods.  I  accidentally  came 
where  a  bear  was  eating  a  deer,  and  drew  near  in  hopes  of 

^Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,  New  York,  April  17,  1829. 


Toils  and  Triumphs  of  the  Pioneers.  355 

getting  some ;  but  he  growled  and  looked  angry,  so  I  left 
him,  and  quickly  passed  on.  At  night  when  I  lay  down  to 
rest,  I  never  slept,  but  I  dreamed  of  eating.  In  my  lone- 
some travels,  I  came  to  a  very  large  shelving  rock,  under 
which  was  a  pine  bed  of  leaves.  I  crept  in  among  them, 
and  determined  there  to  end  my  days  of  sorrow.  I  lay 
there  several  hours,  until  my  bones  ached  in  so  distressing 
a  manner  that  I  was  obliged  to  stir  out  again.  I  then 
thought  of,  and  wished  for,  home ;  and  traveled  on  several 
days,  till  I  came  where  Cumberland  River  breaks  through 
the  mountain."1 

The  preachers  frequently  suffered  through  want  of 
clothing.  We  have  noticed  where  Thomas  Ware  com- 
plained about  his  clothes  being  worn  out,  and  no  money  to 
buy  more.  When  James  Jenkins  was  on  the  Bladen  Cir- 
cuit, then  extending  throughout  the  Cape  Fear  section,  he 
makes  this  note :  "In  the  fall  I  took  the  fever,  and  had  to 
stop  one  day  to  take  medicine,  but  got  my  appointment 
filled.  The  next  day  I  rode  with  the  fever  on  me.  I 
suffered  some  this  year,  but  had  much  comfort  and  pros- 
perity in  my  soul.  Here  the  homespun  coat,  which  my 
mother  gave  me,  wore  out,  so  much  so  that  I  lost  one 
sleeve  from  the  elbow  down ;  but  rather  than  lose  time  to 
go  and  obtain  a  new  one,  I  went  on  round  the  circuit 
sleeveless  in  one  arm,  until  a  brother  exchanged  with  me, 
giving  me  the  best  of  the  bargain.2 

These  pioneers  faced  dangers  and  endured  hardships 
scarcely  credible  by  those  who  have  been  reared  in  the 

\A.sbury's  Journal,  Vol.  II.,  page  300. 
2"Memoirs  of  Jenkins,"  page  87. 


356  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

"silver  age  of  Methodism."  They  were  often  forced  to 
subsist  solely  on  cucumbers,  or  a  piece  of  cold  bread,  with- 
out the  luxury  of  milk  or  coffee.  In  many  sections  of  the 
state,  where  they  were  entertained,  the  ordinary  diet  was 
fried  bacon  and  corn  bread.  The  houses  weie  rude  log 
cabins,  with  earthen  floors.  The  beds  upon  which  Bishop 
Asbury  and  his  coadjutors  often  slept  were  constructed 
of  "clapboards  laid  on  poles  supported  by  rude  forks 
driven  into  the  ground." 

But  this  is  sufficient  to  show  that  these  were  heroes  in 
every  sense  of  the  word.  And  look  what  a  list  there  is  of 
them !  Besides  many  whose  names  are  forgotten,  there 
are  Asbury,  Coke,  Pilmoor,  Williams,  Rankin,  Garrettson, 
Dromgoole,  Poythress,  Tatum,  King,  Dickins,  Cole, 
Pride,  O' Kelly,  Yeargan,  Ellis,  Ivey,  John  Easter,  Jesse 
Lee,  Tunnell,  Bruce,  Hull,  John  McGee,  William  Ormond, 
James  Jenkins,  Douthet,  Nolley,  Jackson,  Daniel  Asbury, 
with  a  host  of  others  whose  names  might  be  mentioned. 

It  would  be  a  pleasure  to  dwell  at  some  length  upon 
these  and  many  others  who  have  been  eminent  in  their 
self-sacrificing  efforts  in  North  Carolina ;  but  we  must 
reluctantly  pass  them  by  with  the  consoling  thought  that 
their  "record  is  on  high,"  and  that  "their  works  do  follow 
them."  It  is  impossible  for  the  writer  properly  to  embalm 
the  memory  of  their  names  in  the  hearts  of  their  suc- 
cessors ;  much  of  what  they  were  and  what  they  did  has 
been  lost  to  memory ;  but  enough  of  their  deeds  and  the  re- 
sults of  their  labors  are  here  to  preserve  them  forever  as 
some  of  the  greatest  heroes  the  world  has  ever  known. 

I  would  that  we  could  get  a  clear  conception  of  these 


Toils  and  Triumphs  of  the  Pioneers.  357 

men  and  their  work  in  our  minds,  so  that  it  could  not  be 
obliterated.  Let  the  mind  go  back  for  a  hundred  and 
twenty-five  years,  and  see  the  familiar  figures  on  the  high- 
ways of  the  country,  known  to  all  as  the  itinerant  Meth- 
odist preachers.  Look  at  the  grave,  earnest  countenance, 
"the  straight-breasted  coat,  the  oil-skin  covering  of  the 
hat,  the  leather  saddlebag,  and  the  staid  gait  of  the  horse, 
which  denoted  the  Methodist  preacher;  and  usually  they 
were  recognized  by  all  that  ever  beheld  or  heard  of  one 
about  as  far  as  they  were  to  be  seen."  This  is  a  picture 
of  the  early  itinerant  as  he  traversed  the  wilds  of  North 
Carolina,  with  a  message  of  salvation  to  every  man.  He 
was  despised  by  some  and  persecuted  by  others,  but  "none 
of  these  things  moved  him." 

"In  the  long  and  varying  and  shifting  annals  of  the 
world's  centuries,  who  have  deserved  better  of  their  race 
than  these  self-sacrificing,  devoted  heroes?  Where  can 
we  find  a  parallel  to  their  labors,  their  toils,  their  dangers, 
their  sacrifices?  What  blood-stained  heroes  in  all  the 
ages  of  time  can  stand  side  by  side  with  these  unknown, 
obscure  men,  and  claim  to  be  equal  benefactors  to  the  hu- 
man race?  Ye  warriors,  ye  statesmen,  ye  paladins  of 
chivalry,  where  is  your  claim  to  the  honor  and  love  of  the 
race  when  set  beside  the  unrecorded  claims  of  these  mod- 
est, self-renouncing  preachers?  The  pages  of  earthly 
history  have  handed  down  your  deeds  of  blood  to  posteri- 
ty, and  rendered  your  names  and  actions  illustrious  to  fu- 
ture ages ;  they  have  sunk  into  obscure,  unknown,  and  for- 
gotten graves ;  but  the  good  they  did  lives  after  them,  and 
though  man  may  not  bestow  upon  them  the  honors  due 


358  Methodism  in  North  Carolina. 

their  great  deeds,  yet  not  one  of  them  has  failed  of  his  re- 
ward in  the  eyes  of  his  great  'Taskmaster/  or  will  be  for- 
gotten in  the  day  of  the  great  reckoning."  * 

We  have  followed  these  men  in  the  swamps  of  eastern 
Carolina  and  over  the  mountains  of  the  west,  and  we  have 
seen  their  toils  and  hardships;  but  what  did  they  accom- 
plish up  to  the  time  of  which  we  write — 1805  ?  The  first 
circuit  was  formed  in  North  Carolina  thirty  years  ago, 
with  three  preachers  appointed  to  serve  it.  During  this 
period  Methodism  has  spread  over  the  whole  state.  We 
now  have  twenty-two  circuits  instead  of  one,  with  a  mem- 
bership, white  and  colored,  of  more  than  eleven  thousand. 
In  the  whole  Church  there  were  more  than  one  hundred 
and  twenty  thousand.  Within  North  Carolina,  we  can 
have  no  idea  as  to  the  number  of  preachers  who  have  been 
sent  out  to  other  parts;  it  is  safe,  however,  to  say  that  the 
great  majority  of  the  early  preachers  were  furnished  by 
North  Carolina  and  Virginia. 

These  men  labored  under  great  difficulties.  Soon  after 
making  a  start  in  the  state,  the  war  cloud  gathered  over 
the  country.  And  because  of  the  relation  of  the  preachers 
to  England,  many  of  them  were  greatly  embarrassed. 
Some  fled  from  the  country,  others  ceased  to  travel. 
While  even  the  leader  of  the  band  thought  it  necessary 
to  retreat  until  the  cloud  of  war  had  passed  over.  Yet  he 
was  full  of  faith  and  hope,  and  as  soon  as  peace  was  re- 
stored, "Methodism  girded  herself  for  her  appointed 
work."     And  the  new  Church  began  to  grow  more  rap- 

1W.  C.  Doub  in  "Centennial  of  Methodism,"  page  40. 


Toils  and  Triumphs  of  the  Pioneers.  359 

idly,  the  spirit  of  liberty  being  congenial  to  its  develop- 
ment. For  in  the  organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  at  the  close  of  the  war,  a  favorable  time  and  op- 
portunity met.  It  began  to  build  up  in  every  direction.  It 
had  its  dissensions,  but  they  only  purified  instead  of  cor- 
rupting; instead  of  scattering,  they  had  a  tendency  to  in- 
tensify and  unite  the  forces.  And  thus  the  Church  moved 
forward,  under  the  earnest  efforts  of  its  workers,  until 
within  a  quarter  of  a  century  many  exclaimed  in  astonish- 
ment and  gratitude,  "What  hath  God  wrought!" 

If  you  would  learn  the  secret  of  its  success  and  wonder- 
ful growth,  go  to  the  last  resting  places  of  those  who 
fought  in  the  hot  conflicts  of  its  early  history;  and  above 
their  ashes  recount  their  toils,  hardships,  self-sacrifices,  and 
self-denying  efforts  in  planting  and  defending  Methodism. 
To  them  the  Church  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  it  can 
never  pay.  But  such  heroic  devotion  upon  their  part  that 
has  made  this  growth  possible,  and  in  which  the  whole 
Church  rejoices  to-day,  demands  at  our  hands  nothing 
less  than  the  same  devotion  and  anxious  solicitude,  for  the 
same  object  and  for  the  same  end. 


END  OF  VOLUME  I. 


INDEX. 


African  Methodists,  170. 

Ahair,  John,  219. 

Allen,  Beverly,  labored  on  New 
Hope,  98,  175 ;  ordained,  122 ; 
sent  to  Georgia,  122 ;  sad  story 
of,  123 ;  first  Methodist  preach- 
er to  visit  Lower  Cape  Fear. 
216;  at  Salisbury,  242;  246. 

Alleghany  Mountains,  353. 

Asbury,  Bishop  Francis,  writes 
of  Dromgoole,  50;  landed  at 
Philadelphia,  84 ;  abundant  la- 
bors, 85;  enters  North  Caro- 
lina, 86;  goes  through  Tar 
River  Circuit,  90;  at  Green 
Hill's,  90;  meets  James  O'Kel- 
ly,  91 ;  extracts  from  his  Jour- 
nal, 86-94;  in  Chatham  county 
93;  object  of  visit  to  North 
Carolina,  98;  112;  makes  a 
tour  through  the  South,  119; 
wears  a  gown,  120 ;  at  Salis- 
bury, 120;  126;  at  university, 
138;  at  Colonel  Williams's, 
148;  in  Washington,  153; 
Elizabeth  City,  164;  Newbern, 
169;  Tarboro,  171;  favored 
Council,  180;  visits  O'Kelly's 
district,  181 ;  meets  O'Kelly, 
191 ;  his  prophecy,  193 ;  in 
Stokes  county,  210;  crosses 
Dan  River,  213;  much  travel, 
215 ;  opposed  to  slavery,  228 ; 
in  Wilmington,  233 ;  in  West- 
ern North   Carolina,  300;  ex- 


perience in  mountains,  302-306 ; 
leader  in  revivals,  310;  in  east- 
ern part  of  state,  322 ;  353 ; 
sleeps  in  the  woods,  354 ;  356. 

Asbury,  Daniel,  261 ;  forms  Lin- 
coln Circuit,  273;  assisted  by 
Enoch  George,  275 ;  sketch  of, 
278;  last  letter  to  Conference, 
280;  331;  333;  338;  347;  356. 

Asbury's  Journal,  137;  176. 

Asheville,  291. 

Askew,  James,  a  local  preacher, 
293 ;  Josiah,  sketch  of,  292. 

Amelia  Circuit,  321. 

Annual  Conference,  first  session 
of,  121 ;  at  Green  Hill's,  121 ; 
how  entertained,  122;  Dr.  Ivey 
writes  of,  124;  at  Salisbury, 
125 ;  how  entertained,  126. 

Ansley,  Samuel,  168;  297. 

Appalachian  Mountains,  130. 

Arminian  Magazine,  128;  140; 
174. 

Baird,  I.  V.,  301. 

Ball,  Hannah,  142. 

Baldwin,  John,  155;  217. 

Ballew,  John  C,  286. 

Banks,  146;  174. 

Baptist  churches,  first  organized, 

16;    Meherrin,    16;    Kehukee, 

16;   Sandy  Creek,   17;  Grassy 

Creek,  17. 
Baptists,    enter    the    colony,    15; 

are  aggressive,  18;  disputes  of, 

(36i) 


362 


Index. 


87;  deadness  of,  88;  in  Moore 

county,  217 ;  333. 
Bath,  12;  28. 
Beal's  Chapel,  214. 
Beaufort,  revival  in,  322. 
Beaver  Dam,  291. 
Bell,  William,  330. 
Bellamy,   William,    167;    collects 

material  to  write  History,  168; 

219. 
Bennett,  W.  W.,  quotations  from, 

108. 
Berkley,  Governor,  7. 
Bethel  Academy,  137. 
Bertie  Circuit  formed,  103;  148; 

171;  174;  revival  on,  321. 
Bingham,  Henry,  253 ;  257. 
Birchett,  Henry,  147. 
Bird,  Jonathan,  sketch  of,  218. 
Black  Mountain,  153. 
Bladen  Circuit,  99;  176;  formed, 

218;  boundary  of,  219;  extent 

of,  221;  340;  342;  355. 
Blair,  John,  14. 

Blue  Ridge,  3 ;  Methodism  plant- 
ed west  of,  57;  63;  94;  290; 

302. 
Boardman,  Richard,  27. 
Book    Concern,    established,    60; 

140;    first   book    printed,    140; 

142. 
Book  Steward,  198. 
Bowen,  Thomas,  198. 
Brett,  Daniel,  13. 
British,  80. 

Broad  River  Circuit,  256. 
Brooks,  Stephen,  162. 
Bruce,   Philip,   sketch  of,  79-82 ; 

present    at    battle    of    King's 

Mountain,     80;     preaches     to 

Tories,   80;    123;    member    of 


Council,  178;  organizes  near 
Wilmington,  216;  on  Newbern 
District,  321 ;  writes  of  a  re- 
vival, 321 ;  describes  camp 
meeting,  335;  342;  356. 

Bruton,  D.  R.,  251. 

Bryan,  General,  conversion,  of, 
204,  205. 

Brunswick  Circuit,  44;  63;  fruits 
of,  169;  revival  begun  in,  310; 
321. 

Buncombe  Courthouse,  299;  301; 
county's  greatest  meeting,  319. 

Burke,  William,  199;  200;  211. 

Burrington,  George,  appointed 
Governor,  5. 

Burton,  John,  sketch  of,  156; 
member  of  General  Confer- 
ence, 157. 

Bustian's,  Asbury  preaches  at, 
86. 

Bute  county,  124. 

Caldwell,  David,  334. 

Caldwell's  Institute,  8. 

Calvinism,  effects  of,  94;  strong 
in  the  west,  284. 

Camp  meeting,  origin  of,  328; 
334;  in  Randolph  county,  239; 
near  Wilmington,  238;  first 
west  of  the  Ridge,  290;  in  Jer- 
sey settlement,  312;  in  Lin- 
coln county,  317;  at  Ebenezer, 
322;  the  first,  329;  at  Shep- 
herd's Cross  Roads,  330;  337; 
became  union  meetings,  333 ; 
near  Statesville,  334;  near 
Morgantown,  337;  on  New- 
bern District,  343 ;  described, 
344- 


Index. 


363 


Cannon,  Edward,  191 ;  Joshua, 
220. 

Cape  Hattcras,  162. 

Cape  Fear  Gazette,  5. 

Cape  Fear  section,  settlements 
in,  19,  176,  216-225;  progress 
in,    224;    greatest    meeting    in, 

34^ ;  355- 
Carlisle,  Coleman,  208. 
Carlisle,  Simon,  211,  212. 
Caswell     Circuit,     formed,     103; 

169;  revival  on,  203. 
Catawba  River,  94;  329. 
Catawba    Valley,    settlement    of, 

286. 
Cattle  Creek  camp  ground,  253. 
Charlotte,  school  at,  8;  Lorenzo 

Dow  at,  324. 
Chowan  River,  149. 
Christian  Advocate,  155 ;  160. 
Christian    Church,    189 ;    its 

growth,  190,  191. 
Christmas     Conference,     called, 

144 ;  Garrettson  carries  notice, 

144;  religious  worship  in,  117; 

importance  of,  118. 
Church    schools,    state    indebted 

to,  8. 
Churches :     Beal's,     244 ;     Bell's, 

244 ;  Center,  243 ;  first  west  of 

the    Catawba,   274;    Hancock's 

243;     Mount     Pleasant,     209; 

Neuse,  94;  Olive  Branch,  244; 

McKnight's,     244 ;     Randall's, 

243;    Salem,   243;    Whitaker's, 

244;  Wilmington,  223. 
Claywell,  Peter,  266;  333;  writes 

of  camp  meetings,  342. 
Clemmonsville,  127 ;  267. 
Clergy,  112;  159. 
Coinjock  Chapel,  35;  148. 


Coke,  Thomas,  gives  estimate  of 
Colonel  Williams,  35 ;  at  John 
Street  Chapel,  114;  brings  let- 
ter from  Mr.  Wesley,  114; 
admires  American  preachers, 
115;  makes  tour  north,  120; 
preaches  for  Presbyterians, 
121;  at  Salisbury,  126;  at 
Edenton,  163 ;  opposed  to  slav- 
ery, 229 ;  356. 

Cokesbury  College,  135. 

Cokesbury  School,  Asbury  visits, 
136;  James  Parks,  principal  of, 
136. 

Cole,  Le  Roy,  appointed  to  Car- 
olina Circuit,  57;  sketch  of, 
61 ;  62 ;  356. 

Colonial  records,  30. 

Combs,  Daniel,  218. 

Conference,  at  Baltimore,  62; 
at  Broken  Back  Church,  in; 
at  Charlestown,  269;  at  Deer 
Creek,  57;  first  in  America, 
58;  at  Green  Hill's,  130;  most 
spiritual,  129;  at  McKnight's, 
129,  200,  201 ;  petitioned  legis- 
lature, 230;  at  Salisbury,  125, 
255 ;  closing  scene,  132. 

Connor,  Julius,  261. 

Contentney  Circuit,  155 ;  174. 

Conwayboro,  revival  at,  222. 

Cooper,  John,  enters  itinerancy, 
96. 

Council,  177;  objects  of,  177;  at 
Cokesbury,  178;  opposed  by 
O'Kelly,  179. 

Cromwell,  J.  O.,  member  of 
Council,  178. 

Crowfield,  early  school  at,  8. 

Currituck  Courthouse,  here  first 


364 


Index. 


Methodist     sermon     preached, 

34- 
Cypress  Chapel,  91. 

Danville,  Lorenzo  Dow  at,  324. 

Davis,  James,  published  first 
paper,  5. 

Dean,  Daniel,  211. 

Deep   River,    150. 

Declaration  of  Independence,  48. 

Denton,  Benjamin,  220;  James, 
264. 

Dickins,  John,  travels  North 
Carolina  Circuit,  57;  sketch  of 
his  life,  60,  61 ;  superintendent 
of  Book  Concern,  60;  doing 
literary  work,  74;  favored  or- 
dination, 112;  plan  of  organi- 
zation submitted  to,  114;  de- 
scribed by  Asbury,  134;  draws 
subscription  for  school,  134; 
in  Philadelphia,  140;  death  of, 
142;  member  of  Council,  178; 
divides  the  subject  of  debate, 
182;  356. 

Discipline,  prepared  for  press, 
139 ;  revision  of,  181 ;  rule  on 
marriage,  298. 

Dismal  Swamp,  286. 

Dissenters,  came  from  New  En- 
gland, 29. 

District  Conference,  178. 

Districts,  size  of,  53,  214,  259; 
enlarged,  259 ;  extent  of,  264. 

Doub,  John,  father  of  Peter 
Doub,  95;  324;  his  house  be- 
comes a  preaching  place,  95 ; 
Doub's  Chapel,  95;  236. 

Doub,  Peter,  324;  Autobiography 
of,  343- 


Douglass,  Thomas  L.,  on  Swan- 
nanoa  Circuit,  302;  319;  338. 

Douthet,  James,  247;  264;  pre- 
siding elder,  302;  on  Salisbury 
District,  318;  sketch  of,  320; 
356;  Samuel,  320. 

Dow,  Lorenzo,  at  Wilmington, 
323 ;  in  prison,  323 ;  at  Rock- 
ingham Courthouse,  323 ;  ex- 
tracts from  his  Journal,  324; 
at  Stokes  Courthouse,  325. 

Dromgoole,  Edward,  on  Carolina 
Circuit,  48;  sketch  of  his  life, 
49;  52;  at  camp  meeting,  51; 
plans  Camden  Circuit,  99;  103; 
at  Colonel  Williams's,  102; 
356. 

Duke's,  Asbury  at,  87. 

Dwelling  houses,  condition  of, 
93 ;  described,  356. 

Dyson,  Leonard,  292. 

Early  mail  facilities,  6. 

Early  settlers,  came  with  reli- 
gious convictions,  24. 

Early,  William,  died  in  New- 
bern,  173. 

Easter,  John,  sketch  of,  104; 
106 ;  effective  preacher,  105 ; 
McKendree  and  George  con- 
verts of,  106;  thrilling  scene 
under  preaching  of,  107;  356; 
Thomas,  on  Goshen  Circuit, 
169. 

Easter's  meetinghouse,  104. 

Edenton,  town  of,  13;  120;  163. 

Edmundson,  William,  preached 
first  gospel  sermon  in  North 
Carolina,  9. 

Edney,  Samuel,  sketch  of,  219; 
marries,  286;  290. 


Index. 


365 


Edneyville,  220;  290. 

Education,  necessity  of,  7 ;  gov- 
ernment indifferent  to,  7;  first 
Conference  school,  128 ; 
preacher  as  a  factor  of,  134; 
127. 

Ellis,  John,  266;  Reuben,  ap- 
pointed elder,  255 ;  favored  or- 
dination, 112;  directs  James 
Patterson  in  his  itinerancy, 
268;  member  of  Council,  178; 
death  of,  264;   123;  232;  257; 

356. 

Embury,  Philip  begins  work  in 
New  York,  27. 

English  preachers,  254. 

English  settlers  from  Virginia, 
12. 

Established  Church,  12;  15;  na- 
tional religion,  12 ;  at  Beau- 
fort, 149;  St.  James,  14;  St. 
Thomas,  14;  have  majority, 
31 ;  had  the  prestige,  217. 

Evans,  Henry,  235 ;  237. 

Everitt,  J.,  member  of  Council, 
178. 

Fast  Day  appointed,  58. 

Fayetteville,  19;  235. 

Fishburn,  Mrs.,  126. 

Fishing  Creek,  90. 

First  Annual  Conference,  121 ; 
held  in  Green  Hill's  house, 
124. 

First  church  west  of  the  Cataw- 
ba, 329. 

First  Conference  school,  128. 

First  Methodist  cullege,  137. 

First  printing  press  in  North 
Carolina,  5. 


First  subscriptions  to  a  Metho- 
dist school,  135. 

First  visit  of  a  Methodist  preach- 
er, its  effect,  134. 

Flower  Gap,  128. 

Floyd,  Moses,  297. 

Fore,  John,  262. 

Foster,  James,  242;  247. 

Foster,  Thomas,  300. 

Foote's  Sketches,  quotation 
from,  332. 

Fox,  George,  10. 

French  infidelity,  309;  311. 

Garrett,  Lewis,  212. 

Garrettson,  Freeborn,  in  North 
Carolina,  64;  227;  member  of 
Council,  178;  112;  356. 

Gaston,  Judge,  133. 

Gatch,  Philip,  112. 

General  Conference,  178;  181. 

George,  Enoch,  greatly  discour- 
aged, 275 ;  assists  Daniel  As- 
bury,  275 ;  received  a  letter 
from  Bishop  Asbury,  276 ;  on 
Guilford     Circuit,     207;     153; 

325;  353- 

Georgia,  Beverly  Allen  sent  to, 
122. 

German  Reformed  Church,  21, 
22. 

Gibson,  Tobias,  297;  300. 

Glendenning,  William,  on  Roa- 
noke Circuit,  64  ;  sketch  of,  64  ; 
66. 

Gloucester  Circuit,  169. 

Gordon,  William,  14. 

Goshen  Circuit,  165 ;  169 ;  174. 

Grant's  Creek,  126. 

Green,  L.,  member  of  Council, 
178. 


366 


Index. 


Guilford     Circuit     formed,     97; 
William    Wilkerson    on,    169; 

211;  325- 
Guilford  Courthouse,  72. 

Haggard,  David,  147;  262. 
Halifax,  171;  322. 
Hall,  Daniel,  210;  321. 
Hall,  James,  329;  334;  343- 
Hammett,  William,  192. 
Hancock,  John,  243. 
Hancock's    meetinghouse,    268. 
Harper,  John,  264. 
Hartley,  Joshua,  251. 
Hawfield,  camp  meeting  at,  332. 
Haw    River,    93;    Circuit,    208; 

320. 
Hearne's  meetinghouse,  267. 
Henly,  Abner,  266. 
Hertford,  town  of,   10. 
Hickory    Mountain,    revival    at, 

320. 
High  Ford,  199;  201. 
Hill,     Green,     representative     in 

Congress,    79;    entertains    As- 

bury,  90;  Conference  at,   130; 

123;  124;  125. 
Hill,  Henry,  206 ;  262. 
Hillsboro,    Asbury    preaches    at, 

94- 
Hinton,    Dempsey,    150;    James, 

admitted  on  trial,  151 ;  242. 
Holston     Circuit,     formed,    288; 

growth  of,  290;  District,  257. 
Hot    Spring,    299;    amusements 

at,  300. 
Hull,  Hope,  251;  356. 
Humphreys,  Thomas,  195;  196. 

Indians,    349;    Daniel     Asbury 
captured  by,  279. 


Indian  Town,  102. 

Infidelity,  217. 

Itinerants,  first  regular  to  visit 
America,  28;  their  heroism, 
I27»  345  J  many  located  from 
necessity,  158;  sacrifices  of, 
161;  destitution  of,  202;  hard- 
ships of,  259,  277 ;  diet  of,  277 ; 
how  entertained,  259;  their 
oratory,  349;  described  on 
horseback,  357. 

Ivey,  Richard,  sketch  of,  147; 
member  of  Council,  178;  pre- 
siding elder,  147,  254;  named 
among  other  heroes,  356; 
death  of,  264. 

Jackson,  Jonathan,  presiding 
elder,  319;  gives  account  of 
revival,  321 ;  account  of  camp 
meeting,  343;  342;  356. 

Jarratt,  D.,  education  of,  8; 
conducts  revival,  41 ;  organ- 
izes his  people  into  a  society, 
41 ;  writes  to  Mr.  Wesley,  47 ; 
friendly  to  the  Methodists,  in. 

Jarratt,  Nathan,  at  Wilmington, 
224;  on  Swannanoa  Circuit, 
296 ;  summary  of  work,  296. 

Jenkins,  James,  on  Bladen  Cir- 
cuit, 221 ;  presiding  elder,  238 ; 
passed     through     Swannanoa, 

299;  338;  340;  355;  356. 

Jerks,  described  by  Barton  W. 
Stone,  312,  314;  all  classes  af- 
fected, 313 ;  Dr.  Buckley's  ex- 
planation, 315;  Jacob  Young's 
account  of,  316;  334. 

John  Street  Chapel,  207. 

Johnson,  Stephen,   195. 

Jones,  Henry,  197;  John  N.,  263. 


Index. 


367 


Jones's  meetinghouse,  268. 
Journal,    Coke's,    141 ;    Asbury's, 
141;  346;  Lorenzo  Dow's,  324. 

Kehukee  Association,  16. 

Kendrick,  Bennett,  serves  Wil- 
mington, 224. 

Kentucky,  preachers  at  Confer- 
ence from,  127;  Circuit,  97. 

Kilgo,  John  C,  estimate  of  a 
circuit  rider,  350. 

Killian's,  society  at,  301. 

King,  John,  sketch  of,  58;  on 
North  Carolina  Circuit,  57; 
Wesley  gives  advice  to,  59; 
123 ,'  356 ;  Marcus,  60 ;  Jere- 
miah, 266. 

King's  Mountain,  79,  80. 

Lambert,  Jeremiah,  288. 
Lambuth,  William,  263. 
Ledbetter,   Charles,  262;  Henry, 

153. 

Lednum's  History  of  Metho- 
dism, 126. 

Lee,  Jesse,  30;  converted,  45; 
appointed  class  leader,  65 ; 
preached  first  sermon,  74; 
under  guard,  75 ;  at  Edenton, 
99;  our  first  historian,  117; 
sketch  of,  73,  74;  extracts 
from  Journal,  74-78;  101-103 ; 
248-250 ;  attends  quarterly 
meeting  at  Roanoke,  106;  as- 
sists in  planning  Camden  Cir- 
cuit, 99 ;  103 ;  preaches  at 
Beal's,  214;  position  on  slav- 
ery, 231;  at  Randall's,  248;  on 
Salisbury  Circuit,  247;  at  Jer- 
sey meetinghouse,  249;  came 
near  being  drowned,  249;   on 


Norfolk     District,     321 ;     106 ; 

123;  356. 
Lee,  John,  death  of,  270. 
Lexington      Circuit,      Kentucky, 

H7- 

Liberty,  45;  71. 

Lincoln     Circuit,     formed,     2/^ ; 

boundaries    of,    273;    religious 

condition  of,  284;   growth  of, 

285;  divided  290;  331. 
Local   preachers,   work   of,  273 ; 

pioneered  the  way,  289. 
Love  feast,  272;  318. 
Lovely  Lane  Chapel,   115;   117. 
Lowe,    Isaac,     199;    200;     210; 

Thomas  G.,  66. 
Lumberton,  221. 
Lutherans,     where     settled,     21  ; 

strength  of,  22. 

Mann,  Thomas,  208;  sketch  of, 
293;  kept  a  diary,  293;  prays 
with  Indians,  294. 

Marsh  Circuit  formed,  103. 

Martin,  James,  sketch  of,  146. 

Mason,  John,  255,  256. 

Mattamuskeet  Circuit  formed, 
158;  John  Sale  on,  171;  352. 

McAnally,  efficiency  of  local 
preachers,  289. 

McCorkle,  Samuel,  312;  334. 

McGee,  John,  261;  329;  331; 
356;  birthplace,  330;  assists 
in  forming  Lincoln  Circuit, 
273 ;  carries  the  use  of  camp 
meeting  to  the  west,  332 ;  Wil- 
liam, 331. 

McGready,  James,  311. 

McHenry,  Barnabas,  257. 

McKendree,  William,  diary  of, 
180;    on    Portsmouth    Circuit, 


368 


Index. 


180;  sends  resignation  to  Con- 
ference, 185;  returns,  187;  in 
Yadkin  Circuit,  318;  329. 

McKinney,  George,  199;  201. 

McKnight,  George,  95 ;  Confer- 
ence at,  127 ;  second  Confer- 
ence, 129;  chapel,  126;  meet- 
inghouse, 257;  140. 

McTyeire,  Bishop,  sketches  Bev- 
erly Allen,  123. 

Mecklenburg  county,  69. 

Memorials  of  Methodist  in  Vir- 
ginia, 172. 

Meredith,  William,  in  prison, 
222 ;  gives  chapel  to  the  Meth- 
odists, 223 ;  works  among  the 
negroes,  235. 

Metcalf,  Henry,   147. 

Methodism,  religious  condition 
of  colony  when  introduced,  9; 
its  origin,  26,  133 ;  its  meaning, 
308;  its  object,  26;  enters  the 
state  in  a  revival,  47 ;  extends 
its  borders,  103 ;  doctrines  of, 
311;  stands  for  education,  133; 
planting  of,  providential,  ill; 
hindrances  to,  48,  68,  18,  231 ; 
opposition  to,  285 ;  effect  of 
war  on,  71 ;  introduced  in 
Cape  Fear  section,  217;  in 
Fayetteville,  235 ;  in  Washing- 
ton, 151;  west  of  the  Catawba, 
271,  287;  west  of  the  Blue 
Ridge,  288;  in  Kentucky,  97; 
234 ;  emphasized  experience, 
234;  heroes  of,  67;  indebted 
to  good  women,  161 ;  adapta- 
tion of,  225,  285 ;  strength  of 
in  North  Carolina,  264;  in  the 
South,  285;  growth,  219;  326; 
358. 


Methodist  Episcopal  Church  or- 
ganized, 116;  John  Dickins 
suggested  name,  116. 

Methodist  Magazine,  141;  124; 
172. 

Methodists,  came  from  Bruns- 
wick Circuit,  271 ;  in  Moore 
county,  217;  missionary  spirit 
of,  292 ;  hostility  to,  277 ;  per- 
secutions of,  73,  154,  174. 

Miller,  R.  J.,  255;  256;  271. 

Mills  Gap,  220;  287. 

Mills  River,  287. 

Mills,  William,  286. 

Minutes,  meagerness  of,   131. 

Montgomery  county,  251 ;  243. 

Moravians,  23,  24. 

Moore,  Joseph,  157;  342;  Mark, 
258;  M.  H.,  quotation  from, 
60;    writes    of    O'Kelly,    176; 

137- 
Mooring,    Christopher    C,    172; 

262. 
Morgan,      Perminter,      arraigns 

Daniel  Asbury,  278. 
Morganton,  294;  297;  319;  337. 
Morris,  E.,  member  of  Council. 

178. 
Mount  Gilead,  251 ;  338. 

Narrows  Chapel,  35. 

Negro  problem,  226;  unsettled, 
241. 

Negroes,  condition  under  slav- 
ery, 240,  241 ;  cruelty  to,  239 ; 
their  fate,  237;  around  family 
altar,  240;  their  thrilling 
songs,  234. 

Nelson,  Thomas,  339. 

Newbern,  academy  at,  7;  Pil- 
moor  at,  37;  growing,  169;  its 


Population,    i7o  •    „„_,, 

ir '      /u>    good    news 

£l?£ Distri-  — 

N^  Hope  Circuit,  formed,  64  • 
foundatlonlaid,j5;bou^ 

NiLf!?ht\f'not  Methodists, 

32     from  New  £     Ja 

^ew  R1Ver  Circuit,  165;  262 
Newton,  George,  302. 
Nicholson,  James  L.,  27o 
NoIIichucky  Circuit/^ 

34      D-f°bert     Williams    * 
349,  District,  321 ;  Circuit 

Gorman,  Jeremiah,  168 

North ^  Carolina,  its  location,  2; 

«st°P0graphy,  2;   inteHectua 
conduion    q.25;  nrst  v 

ectld    •"'     4;     **     ChurcI 
erected   m,    I3;   popuIation 

n  1729,  4;  first  circuit  in    48 
furnished      manv      „  4  ' 

?cS-   ,     .  y      Preachers, 

358,   sent  many  to  the  West 
162;  swamps  Qf 

North  Carolina  Gazette    5 


Index. 


369 
ganized,  lS7;  2I6; 

schism,    x88;    crates   dissatis- 
fac  -n,    180;    effects   of,    <£ 

writes  to  Edward  Cannon,  xVi' 
°fin,  Stephen,  136 

O^ond,     William,     «fr.     l66; 

Ormond's  Chapel,  166 
Otterbein's  church,  lr7. 


Ogburn,  Henry  97 
°'Kelly,  jarnes>  a  pioneer    I7<  • 
gained     I76;    met    ^ 

01     lab        "   3t   Gree"   H^''S 
91,  labors  m  Cape  Fear  sec- 

**.  99;  his  first  district,  x76  • 
h«  work  on,  I76;  member  0f 

Conference,     i8r  •     ,.      ,     .eral 

of    18,  •   f  •  '     resoI«tions 

'   1&'   tries  to  destroy  itin 

SPi?„  Snce- ,83;  "M* 

P'an,  185 ;  rumors  of  a  tip™, 
*«*  .86;  „e„.  cht,'cahnorW 


Paine,    Biswdd 

Palatines,  22. 

Palmer,  Paul,  16. 

Pamlico     Circnit     *„ 

Circuit     formed,     I4a. 

division  of,  i«.  Tco.      '      ^' 

Parks,  Jame      x,6    fI57;i74- 

j  dines,   136,   buries  John 

Lee,  270;  Martin,  x37        J     " 

Partridge,  William,  Ig8\  257 

PartankrCircuitformed57xo3; 

Pa«erson,   James,   266;   extracts 
W  Journal,  267;  ^o 

Xo4'    WmeS    °f  J°h"    Easter, 

P-^ee  Circuit,   X22;25x;  338; 

Pedicord,  Caleb,  90 

Pettigrew,  100. 

Phelps  Ferry,  135. 

Philips,  Josiah,  297 

Piedmont  Section,  3 

Pierce,   Lovick,   writes  of   w 

Null,  252.  f  Hope 

Pi'rnoor,  Joseph,  27 ;  first  Meth- 

odist  nrearl^r  *  ^ccn- 

Carolin       28     1°  ^  N°rth 
una     28,    organized    first 

society    i„     Virginia,    32-    a 
Coonel     Williams's,     35.     * 
Wilmington,    38;    extracts 


37o 


Index. 


from    Journal,    33-40 ;    sketch 

of,  40-356- 
Pioneers,  planting  in  northeast- 
ern part  of  North  Carolina, 
63;  their  preparation,  347;  ed- 
ucational advantages,  348; 
vastness  of  field,  352;  bard- 
ships  of,  132;  335;  their  heroic 

spirit,  345;  A£bury  chief 
among,  347=  Church  owes  a 
debt  of  gratitude  to,  359;  die 
well,  172 ;  graves  of,  270. 
Pittsylvania  Circuit,  extends 
into  North  Carolina,  48;  Yad- 
kin formed  from,  94!  63- 
Portsmouth  Circuit,  McKendree 

on,  180;  revival  on,  321  • 
Potts,  Ralph,  152. 
Poythress,  Francis,  on  Carolina 
Circuit,  48;   sketch  of,  52-54! 
presiding  elder,  214;  112;  356. 
Preachers,    convictions   of,   306; 
great  loss  of,  158;  laymen  hold 
up  hands  of,  287 ;  poorly  paid, 
159;  160;  275;  salary  of,  159- 
Presbyterians,   8;    19;   20;    310; 

217;  325;  328;  333;  335- 
Pride,  Edward,  57  ;  63  ;  350- 
Primitive  Methodists,  192. 
Proprietary    government    estab- 
lished, 4-  , 
Protestant     Episcopal     Church, 

no;   144- 

Provincial  Congress,  79- 

Quakers,  enter  North  Carolina 
9;     their     strength,     n ;     dis- 

.  senters,  13;  opposed  to  war 
78;  218;  339. 

Quarterly  Conference  described 
131;  agency  for  revivals,  318; 


on  Roanoke  Circuit,  106;  Cas- 
well Circuit,  319;  Anson  Cir- 
cuit, 126;  Yadkin,  318;  Mor- 
ganton,  319;  Malary's,  321; 
Swannanoa,  302;  3*9-338. 

Raikes,  Robert,  143- 
Rainbow    meetinghouse,    155- 
Raleigh,  5;  65;  323;  208 
Rankin,  Thomas,  in  North  Car- 
olina,   43;    gives    account    of 
trip,  43;  356. 
Reed,  James,  writes  from  New- 
bern,    29;    describes    visit    of 
Whitefield,  30. 
Reeves  meetinghouse,  268. 
Rehoboth,    first   church   west  of 

the  Catawba,  329. 
Reid,  Nelson,  member  of  Coun- 
cil,  178. 
Reid,    N.    F.,    quotations    from, 

346. 
Revivals,   enter   Halifax   county, 
•37)   Jarratt's   account   of,   44_; 
45;  308-317;  in  Beaufort,  322: 
ConwayEoTo,      222;      Caswell, 
203  •  excitement  in,  326 ;  Mor- 
ganton,    319;    Guilford,    319; 
Hickory     Mountain,     320 ; 
Roanoke  Circuit.  320;  Yadkin. 
^87?66;  west  oTlhe  Cataw- 
ba, 286;  Washington,  152;  the 
greatest,  335  5  effect  of,  326. 
Revolutionary  War.  68-83;  no; 

102;  125;  150. 
Richardson,  Jesse,  assists  in 
forming  Lincoln  Circuit,  273; 
suffers  cold  and  hunger,  281 ; 
sketch  of,  280;  353;  Samuel 
converted,  341. 
Roanoke    Circuit,    formed,    64; 


Index 


371 


location  of,  66;  planning  to 
divide,  153;  revival  on,  321; 
growth,  173;  Garrettson  in, 
227;  174;  Chapel,  120;  River, 
43 ;  Island,  4. 

Rock  Spring,  330. 

Rockingham,  340. 

Rogers,  James,  264;  265. 

Russell's  meetinghouse,  268. 

Rutherford  county,  first  camp 
meeting  in,  338. 

Sale,  John,  171 ;  252 ;  Anthony, 
221. 

Salem,  23;  Female  Academy, 
23 ;  Church,  origin  and  growth, 
166. 

Salisbury,  Methodism  intro- 
duced in,  245 ;  Circuit  formed, 
97;  242;  boundary  of,  242; 
268;  strength  of,  264;  Asbury 
at,  120;  Conference  at,  125; 
Lorenzo  Dow  at,  324 ;  Dis- 
trict, extent  of,  320. 

Sampson  meetinghouse,  323. 

Sands,   Philip,  210;  291. 

Scarboro's  meetinghouse,  338. 

Scarborough,  Lewis,  251. 

Schism,  spirit  of,  188;  loss  by, 
189. 

Scotch-Irish,    settlements    of,    8. 

Scott,  Thomas,  53. 

Seawell,    Judge,    124. 

Sherrill,  Rev.  M.  V.,  quotation 
from,  272. 

Shines,  Daniel,  158. 

Shipp,  A.  M.,  quotations  from, 
281 ;  329. 

Slavery,  opposed  by  Wesley, 
227;  by  Asbury,  228;  Coke, 
229;  discussion  of,  121 ;  warm 


debate  on,  230;  value  of  a 
slave,  232;  233;  226;  241. 

Smith,  Isaac,  195;  197;  247; 
250;  John,  195;  Philip,  301; 
Sihon,  261. 

Snow  Creek,  266 ;  333 ;  342. 

Society,  at  Salisbury,  247 ;  four 
on  Bladen,  222 ;  near  Wil- 
mington, 216. 

South  Carolina  Conference,  158; 
292;  340. 

Spain's  meetinghouse,  155. 

Spencer,  William,  262. 

Statesville,    camp    meeting   near, 

334- 
Steward,     Andrew,     printer     at 

Wilmington,  5. 
Steward,   Samuel   S.,  210. 
Stone,   Barton    W.,  312. 
Straight's  Chapel,  149. 
Strawbridge,  Robert,  27;  49. 
Sugg,  Aquilla,  15S- 
Sunday   Service,    140. 
Sunday  school,  142;  144;  145. 
Swain,    George,   301 ;   David   L., 

302. 
Swannanoa,  origin  of  name,  291  ; 

Circuit,     291 ;     hardships     on, 

294 ;   171 ;  292. 

Tarboro,  new  chapel  erected  at, 
171. 

Tar  River  Circuit,  formed,  64; 
boundary  of,  67 ;  difficulties 
on,  90;  religious  condition  of, 
176;  208;  revival  on,  331. 

Tatum,  Isham,  on  Carolina  Cir- 
cuit, 48;  sketch  of,  55-57; 
Peter  Doub  gives  an  account 
of,  56;  favored  ordination, 
112. 


372 


Index. 


Taylor,  Edmund,  Asbury  at,  88; 

320 ;   James,   302. 
Tennessee    Conference,   319. 
Thompson,   David,  262. 
Thrift,  Minton,  249. 
Tories,  one  lynched,  78;  80. 
Town   Creek,   camp   meeting  at, 

339- 

Tracy,  Mica j ah,   198. 

Travis,  Joseph,  261. 

Trent  Circuit,  165. 

Trenton,  revival  at,  321. 

Tryon,  Governor,  writes  of  re- 
ligious condition,  31. 

Tunnell,  John,  259;  356. 

Union     Circuit,     274 ;     camp 

ground,  332. 
University    of    North     Carolina 

opened,  138. 
Uwharrie  River,  95. 

Vanderbilt  University,  125. 

Virginia  Conference,  157. 

Virginia,  first  society  in,  33; 
furnished  preachers,  358;  camp 
meeting      extended      through, 

343- 
Voltaire,  309. 

Walker,  Nathaniel,  266. 

Walters,  William,  112;  Auto- 
biography of,  117. 

Ware,  Thomas,  sketch  of,  206 ; 
Book  Steward,  206;  crosses 
mountain,  128;  in  Holston, 
260;  gives  account  of  O'Kelly 
on  debate,  184;  201;  335. 

Washington,  150;  its  growth, 
153;  first  meetinghouse,  erect- 
ed, 152;  location  of  church, 
153;  I7i. 


Watson,  Joab,  302. 

Wesley,  John,  founder  of  Meth- 
odism, 26;  had  no  idea  of  or- 
ganizing a  Church,  109;  con- 
sistent, no;  revival  follows 
his  preaching,  84;  writes  to 
Asbury,  114;  opposed  to  slav- 
ery, 227;  306;  349. 

Wesleyan  Conference,  85. 

Whigs,  80. 

Whitefield,  George,  prepares  the 
way  for  Methodism,  32;  at 
Newbern,  28;  a  Calvinist,  29; 
349- 

Wilkerson,  Thomas,  264,  265; 
William  on  Camden  Circuit, 
169;  2il ;  292. 

Williams,  Hallowell,  entertains 
first  Methodist  preacher  in 
North  Carolina,  35 ;  Lee's  esti- 
mate of  him,  102;  entertains 
Dr.  Coke,  35. 

Williams,  Robert,  follows  Pil- 
moor,  40 ;  in  Norfolk,  33 ;  349 ; 
a  publisher,  139;  his  work  in 
Petersburg,  41 ;  plans  a  circuit, 
42;  attends  service  of  Estab- 
lished Church,  42;  356. 

Williamson,  Thomas,  253. 

Willis,  Henry,  195. 

Wilmington,  221 ;  first  society 
in,  222;  great  fire  in,  222;  Cir- 
cuit, 217;  made  a  station,  223; 
Lorenzo    Dow    at,    323 ;    195 ; 

341- 
Winston-Salem,  288. 
Winton,  Asbury  at,  149. 
Wood,  Humphrey,  264. 

Yadkin  District,  territory  of, 
259;   Circuit  formed,  94;  242; 


Index. 


373 


boundaries  of,  94 ;  271 ;  gain 
on,  97 ;  laborious,  265 ;  preach- 
ers sick  on,  261 ;  extends  into 
Buncombe,  265 ;  Claywell  on, 
333 ',  Pittsylvania  reported 
with,  95 ;  strength  of,  264 ; 
Valley,  242-270;  progress  in, 
258;   gain  in,  242;   revival   in, 


266;  camp  meetings  introduced 
in,  342;  River,  95;  135;  138. 
Yeargan,  Andrew,  94 ;  242 ;'  271 ; 

3-A 

Yeopin  Church,  103. 
Zion,  society  at,  251. 


